Verdict Reached in JERSEY BOYS Copyright Infringement Case

Case closed! According to Forbes, the jury has reached a verdict in a JERSEY BOYS copyright infringement case. The Nevada federal court ruled that because "substantial portions" of the unpublished 'Tommy DeVito: Then and Now' were used in the musical's book, 10% is owed to Donna Corbello- the widow of the biography's author.

Corbello's lawyer, Gregory Guillot, commented: "We are pleased with the verdict, and the jury's diligence and conscientiousness, and believe that the right decision was reached."

The history of the trial began back in 1980 when journalist Rex Woodard befriended Four Seasons member Tommy DeVito while doing research for a story on the early days of the iconic band. During his conversations with DeVito, it was revealed that the wholesome foursome had actually been engaged in criminal enterprises. The revelation compelled Woodard to offer to write an authorized biography with credit and an equal share of the profits. The scribe went on to use such resources as interviews, old news articles, Freedom of Information Act requests filed with law enforcement agencies and more to write a book told from DeVito's perspective. Woodward, who passed away in 1991 at the age of 41 following a battle with lung cancer, never published his work.

Fifteen years later, Valli and Gaudio developed a stage musical about the journey of The Four Seasons entitled JERSEY BOYS. The production went on to garner four Tony Awards, and was later developed into a film directed by Clint Eastwood. However, after checking copyright records, Woodard's widow, Donna Corbello, filed suit against the producers of the musical, along with Valli and Gaudio. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it was revealed that the show's writers, along with several of its actors, had access to Woodard's original work and that DeVito had granted Valli and Gaudio, "a license to freely use and adapt certain 'materials,' including his 'biographies' for the making of the Broadway musical.

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JERSEY BOYS opened on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005 at the August Wilson Theatre.

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."