Frankie Valli Facing Revived Copyright Law Suit Over JERSEY BOYS Musical

Billboard reports that a copyright lawsuit against Frankie Valli and his Four Seasons band member Robert Gaudio has been revived by a federal appeals court over the popular Broadway musical JERSEY BOYS, a show which follows the band's rise to stardom.

Donna Corbello previously sued Valli and Gaudio in 2011 for copyright infringement, claiming that the musical was based in part on an unpublished autobiography, ghost written by her late husband, which centered on Four Seasons band member Thomas DeVito. Ms. Corbello believes she should share in the profits from the long-running musical's success.

Yesterday, the federal appeals court overturned the earlier decision made by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which had ruled in favor of Valli and Gaudio. According to the Billboard report, the Appeals Court believed there was "contradictory evidence about whether Valli and Gaudio executed an agreement with DeVito to produce the play in time to avoid termination of their ownership rights." An attorney for Vallie and Gaudio, Daniel Mayeda, commented that while he was disappointed with the latest decision, he was uncertain if his clients would appeal.

The 9th Circuit Court also ruled in favor of Corbello in another earlier lawsuit against DeVito, deciding that DeVito had "transferred his copyright in the autobiography to Valli and Gaudio, and therefore had to account to Corbello for any profits he obtained from it." DeVito's attorney has thus far declined to comment on the case.

The production of Broadway's JERSEY BOYS declined to comment to BWW today.

JERSEY BOYS opened on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005 at the August WilsonTheatre. The show has been seen by over 20 million people worldwide (as of May 2014) and is currently playing in New York; Las Vegas; London; in cities across the U.S. on a National Tour and The Netherlands.

JERSEY BOYS is written by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo. The original Broadway cast included John Lloyd Young, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J.Robert Spencer.

JERSEY BOYS is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, about a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty. The show features all their hits including "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Oh What A Night," "Walk Like A Man," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Working My Way Back To You."

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