General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIn 2000 Burnett/Trump steal idea for "The Apprentice". Guess which pro race car driver nailed them.
Michael Avenatti
(who is going to play this guy in the movie?)
First the steal
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060518005061/en/Mark-Bethea-Idea-Theft-Case-Mark-Burnett
In August 2000, Mark Bethea, age 44, conceived a reality television show entitled "C.E.O." which had contestants competing against one another in a corporate environment for promotions, perks and benefits and which proposed Donald Trump as its host. Bethea registered a 5-page treatment of his idea for "C.E.O." with the Writers Guild of America in Los Angeles on August 30, 2000. In February 2001, Bethea created a 12-minute PowerPoint presentation of "C.E.O." which included text, video images, narration and music to facilitate marketing and pitching his idea.
In June 2001, Bethea was put in contact with Conrad Riggs, who is Mark Burnett's business manager and accepts pitches on Burnett's behalf. Bethea met with Riggs at his Santa Monica, CA. office and pitched him all three of his reality television ideas: "Air Combat," "Speed Demons" and "C.E.O." Bethea also gave Riggs treatments for all three shows and a copy of the "C.E.O." PowerPoint presentation. Riggs informed Bethea that they were not interested in "C.E.O." Throughout all of their communications, it was understood that all three of the projects that Bethea presented were to be kept confidential and that Defendants would not use any of Bethea's ideas without fairly crediting and compensating him.
On April 2, 2003, "The Apprentice" was announced to the public, and that it would be produced by Mark Burnett Productions, Inc. in association with Trump Productions, LLC., with Mark Burnett, Donald Trump and Jay Bienstock as Executive Producers and Conrad Riggs as Co-Executive Producer of the show. Bethea's efforts to contact the Defendants to be given screen credit and compensation for his original work were repeatedly rebuffed prior to the initial airing of the show
Bethea representation:
Plaintiffs Mark Bethea and Velocity Entertainment Group are represented by Browne Greene, Scott Carr and Michael J. Avenatti with the Santa Monica, CA law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler; Tel: 310-576-1200 and Ronald W. Makarem
Burnett/Trump cave in "theft of concept" idea which are notoriously difficult to sue under:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/suits-against-apprentice-settled/
A man who claims NBC Universal, Donald Trump and the creator of NBC's "The Apprentice" stole his idea has settled his lawsuits in state and federal court, his attorney said.
Mark Bethea alleged he and Velocity Entertainment Group came up with the idea for an unscripted series called "C.E.O." that would have been hosted by Trump and set in a corporate office environment.
Bethea claimed he pitched the idea to Mark Burnett, producer of "Survivor," and his partner, Conrad Riggs, in 2001 and they later lifted "substantial and integral material" from the proposal.
NBC and Trump were named as defendants because they profited from the show.
Avenetti's team made Trump/Burnett settle once before. Should have learned your lesson Donald.
Beside being a great lawyer Avenetti is a legitimate professional race car driver:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Avenatti
Since 2010, Avenatti has raced as a driver in approximately 34 professional sports car races, including various American Le Mans Series, FIA World Endurance Championship, Porsche Supercup and United SportsCar Championship races in the United States and in Europe.
Can't wait for the movie.
This guy gets more and more impressive every day!
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)politicaljunkie41910
(3,335 posts)Go get him Avenatti. Take him down.
pnwest
(3,266 posts)starting to get a serious avenatti crush!
grantcart
(53,061 posts)KT2000
(20,604 posts)when Hannity's name was announced was great! Loved the part where 10 reporters immediately bolt from the courtroom. He also manages to get digs in expertly.
pnwest
(3,266 posts)"starting to get a crush" as shorthand for "deepening well of admiration" for his doggedness, righteousness, determination and general stand-up-for-the-little-guy awesomeness - combined with the understated cool with which he's comported himself as we've gotten to know him on TV.
less boring?
unblock
(52,489 posts)and stays out of helicopters as well....
blaze
(6,391 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,508 posts)Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)malaise
(269,278 posts)Rec
0rganism
(23,989 posts)i can see it now: producer reviewing the script says "Look, you've got to try to get the audience to suspend disbelief. Get that? Suspend disbelief. No way this shit flies. Give me a complete re-write by Tuesday, or you're fi -- we find someone else to do it."
BTW, seems like a Vin Diesel role right there.
gibraltar72
(7,517 posts)think long term and plan ahead. Anyone who can endurance race has a yuuge advantage over one who has the attention span of a gnat.
Hassler
(3,396 posts)And take names.
Tatiana
(14,167 posts)I think you've stumbled onto something.
Avenatti is on a mission to take Cohen and Trump out. Stormy is his weapon of choice.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)I went back to give the person credit for the original idea but couldn't find the thread
That wasn't you was it?
Tatiana
(14,167 posts)That's a neon sign, in my book.
There are a TON of ladies who Trump screwed and who have signed NDAs. He probably has another babymama floating around out there. Women have come forward to Avenatti since he went on his publicity tour with Stormy's case. Yet, he hasn't agreed to represent any of those other women.
Stormy suits his purposes perfectly. She's tough and smart. She's not one for being bullied. The others seem dumb and wimpy (no offense).
I think she's content to work with him on this case because, if successful, she will be rewarded financially and gets to expand her "brand." The reward for Avenatti besides the personal aspect is obvious. He'll become the new Johnnie Cochran.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)He already has passed Cochran in a sense by winning judgements in excess of $ 1 billion in a wide range of very large class action suits against corporations.
Cochran was a master in a different area of taking the individual against the system, criminal and civil. Its hard to say how successful he was at his prime because a lot of his cases settled before they even got filed.
Tatiana
(14,167 posts)Even Jonathan Turley admitted so.
His showmanship can be off-putting, but it serves an important purpose, methinks. Look at how Trump slipped up.
Cha
(298,017 posts)exactly what Slimeballs trump and burnett are.
And, doesn't burnett cloak himself in religion?
Mahalo, grant!
Solly Mack
(90,800 posts)lol