'Millionaire' creator wins millions in Disney lawsuit

With the verdict came the end of a six-year battle between the Walt Disney Co. and the British company that created "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" over unpaid royalties.

Creator of ‘Millionaire’ wins millions
After three days of deliberation, a federal jury in Riverside, California on Wednesday ordered the Walt Disney Company to pay almost $270 million in damages to Celador, the British production company that created the hit TV game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” more than a decade ago.

In its verdict, the jury decided that Disney's ABC network had cheated Celador out of its entitlement to a 50 percent share in profits from the hugely lucrative U.S. version of the show, which airs five days a week on coast-to-coast television, reports UK’s Guardian.

Apparently delighted with the verdit, Celador's founder, the multi-millionaire producer Paul Smith, said: "This is money to which we're entitled and Disney endeavoured to avoid paying it. I'm delighted we're going to get it."

The jury decided that Disney's ABC network had cheated Celador out of its entitlement to a 50 percent share in profits from the hugely lucrative U.S. version of the show, which airs five days a week on coast-to-coast television

Smith further told the Guardian: "It's been debilitating and it's been very, very difficult at times. But I'm delighted that in a David against Goliath story, David has won."

Sued over unpaid royalties
The British-based Celador International filed the lawsuit against Disney in 2004, in which it alleged that it had been denied the ability to profit from the success of the game show, which aired on the entertainment giant's ABC network for three years beginning in the summer of 1999 and became a ratings smash for Disney, with TV personality Regis Philbin as host.

After hearing the verdict, held Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Smith said: "Clearly I'm delighted, this was a David against Goliath story. I think that very few small independent companies would dare to take on the giants -- we did and we won.

“I am pleased that justice has been done and thank the jury for their wisdom and the time they have taken to consider this complex case.”

Disney plans to challenge the award
On the other hand, the verdict came as a severe blow to the Burbank-based Disney, which is already moving forward to appeal the ruling.

"We believe this verdict is fundamentally wrong and will aggressively seek to have it reversed," Disney said in a statement.

The once-popular prime-time game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" still airs in syndication in the United States, with Meredith Vieira as host.