MGM Wins Round in Fight Over 007

A U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles ruled in favor of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. in granting a preliminary injunction barring Sony Corp. from developing a film featuring the James Bond character. Judge Edward Rafeedie ordered Sony to halt the “preparation, production, distribution, advertising or other exploitation of a James Bond motion picture.” The ruling was a major setback for Sony. The studio announced in October that it had signed a deal with the producer of “Thunderball” and “Never Say Never Again” to produce new movies featuring the Bond character. David Steuber, lead counsel for Sony, said in a phone interview: “We believe that the court is wrong. We’re considering our options. . . . There is a strong likelihood we will appeal this order.” MGM claims ownership of the $3-billion Bond franchise. A trial date is set for December.