Link Wins Longtime TV Profits Battle

This sounds like excellent news for William Link, the now 85-year-old co-creator (with his childhood friend and writing partner Richard Levinson) of the Peter Falk TV crime drama Columbo as well as other televised mystery series. From The Hollywood Reporter:

Universal City Studios must pay nearly $70.7 million in back profits and interest to the creators of Columbo, as an L.A. judge on Thursday entered judgment following a
three-phase trial.

William Link and heirs of Richard Levinson in November 2017 sued, through their corporate entities, claiming they weren’t paid their share of profits from the ’70s detective series until 45 years later, and, even then, they were shorted.

You’ll find the whole article here.

FOLLOW-UP: “Judge Tosses $70M Verdict Against Universal in Columbo Profits Fight,” by Ashley Cullins (The Hollywood Reporter).