“Raging Bull” is considered by most critics to be one of the finest, if not the finest American movie of the 80s. It’s also probably the best sports film of all time, a biopic of a boxer named Jake LaMotta.
LaMotta was a practitioner of the sweet science in the ’50s. A relative recently filed suit claiming profits from the film, and, while the statute of limitations had not expired for technical reasons, the studio invoked laches to get rid of the case. For those not in the know, laches is an equitable (read: fairness) doctrine that, for lack of better explanation, comes under the heading of “Oh, come on! It’s not fair to sue after all these years!”
Apparently the Supreme Court of the United States disagrees. The case was reported on last week at the Los Angeles Copyright Society and I would warrant that 2/3s of the attendees thought that the studio would win. Not so, just said our highest court. The opinion will be analyzed here in coming days, so stay tuned.