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Law of Cards: Panini and Leaf Settle Lawsuit Over Kevin Durant Autographs

Law of Cards: Panini and Leaf Settle Lawsuit Over Kevin Durant Autographs

According to a recent court filing, as of April 25, Panini and Leaf have settled their legal dispute over Leaf's use of Kevin Durant autographs.

Filed on Feb. 23, the Panini v. Leaf lawsuit only lasted two months before it fell by the wayside. It was a busy two months, though, with a hearing on a temporary restraining order.

Now, who won this one? That's anyone's guess. 2012 Leaf Best of Basketball sold out before the lawsuit was filed, so the cards are likely already in full circulation. In fact, you can still see them for sale on the secondary market (like eBay). Because the cards are available you might infer that Leaf won because there was no announced recall or actions to limit the cards' circulation.

That's not a sure thing. Maybe Leaf paid Panini an undisclosed amount to make sure there would be no need for a recall.

It's all speculation, at this point, about who won. That is, if anyone won other than Panini and Leaf's lawyers.

Legal translation: Lawyers always win if they bill hourly.

Click here to view a copy of the court's settlement conference order.

The information provided in Paul Lesko's "Law of Cards" column is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues commonly encountered in the sports industry. This information is not intended to create any legal relationship between Paul Lesko, the Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC or any attorney and the user. Neither the transmission nor receipt of these website materials will create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the readers.

The views expressed in the "Law of Cards" column are solely those of the author and are not affiliated with the Simmons Law Firm. You should not act or rely on any information in the "Law of Cards" column without seeking the advice of an attorney. The determination of whether you need legal services and your choice of a lawyer are very important matters that should not be based on websites or advertisements.

Law of Cards: Panini and Leaf Settle Lawsuit Over Kevin Durant Autographs 1Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission
Paul Lesko has litigated complex and intellectual property actions for over 18 years. Don’t hold the fact that Paul is a lawyer against him, he’s also a rabid baseball and college basketball fan, and an avid card collector. He's also the author of the novel Gastric Bypass, available for purchase at Amazon. Paul can be found on Twitter @Paul_Lesko and Google+.

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