Copyright gets some respect
Dangerfield's widow wins video rights
Rodney Dangerfield’s widow has won the rights to his stand-up act, following a dispute with her stepdaughter.Melanie Roy-Friedman, the comic’s daughter from his first wife, had been trying to release a DVD of a gig Dangerfield performed in Las Vegas in 1988.
But Joan Dangerfield, who married the comedian in 1993, claimed that Roy-Friedman, tricked him into giving her the master copy of his routine at the time, and refused to return it to him.
The daughter allegedly copyrighted the tape and sold it to Comedy Central for a tribute special.
Terms of the settlement are secret, but Joan Dangerfield’s attorney said: ‘All copyrights to Rodney Dangerfield's act are held by Joan Dangerfield, who owns all of her late husband's intellectual property.’
Dangerfield died in 2004 at the age of 82. He married Melanie's mum Joyce Indig - twice; from 1949-1962 and 1963-1970.
Published: 8 Aug 2008
