Or, My Big Fat Failed SLAPP Suit. Movie producer David Kronemyer complained to the Internet Movie Database that he wasn't properly credited on the site as an executive producer on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. So IMDb checked the onscreen credits, found Kronemyer wasn't listed, and rejected his complaint.
But wait! Kronemyer is also a lawyer. So he sued, submitting contracts purporting to show that he really was an executive producer on the $250M-grossing film, and seeking a court order forcing IMDb to credit him for Wedding, as well as for the TV production Stand and Be Counted, and the B-movie horror flick Wishcraft.
Yesterday, a three judge panel of California's 2nd appellate district sided with IMDb, upholding (.pdf) a lower-court's dismissal of the lawsuit, and ordering Kronemyer to pay IMDb $6,000 in attorneys fees. As a public forum, the court ruled, IMDb is entitled to protection under California's anti-SLAPP law, which was devised to shield free speech from costly lawsuits likely to fail anyway.
Kronemyer remains credited for Poolhall Junkies and 2002's Bad Boy. In a declaration, IMDb customer service manager Giancarlo Cairella explained that the site goes by screen credits to avoid precisely this situation.
"Part of the reason behind these policies is to avoid getting mired in the frequent disputes among industry professionals and studios regarding who should and should not be included in the credits."
