■UNITED STATES
Disney in Pooh dispute
The company founded by the man who made Winnie the Pooh internationally famous filed a notice of appeal to get unpaid royalties for the use of the beloved children’s characters. Stephen Slesinger Inc filed papers in US District Court in Los Angeles on Nov. 5 to notify the court that it is appealing to collect past royalties from Walt Disney Co and redress for “past improper business practices.” Disney said claims by the late Stephen Slesinger’s family were dismissed in federal court in September. Slesinger signed a licensing deal with Pooh creator A.A. Milne in 1931. Slesinger gave the bear his red shirt, developed Pooh products and then licensed the rights to Disney. Stephen Slesinger Inc said the latest ruling in the case left the door open for the family to get hundreds of millions of dollars in past royalties from Disney.
■UNITED STATES
Warhol sells for US$43m
A silk-screen painting by iconic pop artist Andy Warhol sold for US$43.8 million on Wednesday night in New York, Sotheby’s auction house said. The work, 200 One Dollar Bills, was one of Warhol’s first silk-screen paintings. The painting was estimated by the auction house at US$8 million to US$12 million, and bidding began at US$6 million. The winning bidder followed the auction by telephone but was not identified by Sotheby’s.
■UNITED STATES
Pilot jailed for assault
Police said a pilot tried to hit officers with his plane at a small Georgia airport. Authorities said Dan Gryder was jailed on Wednesday and charged with two counts of aggravated assault. Griffin police investigator Bryan Clanton told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the 48-year-old Gryder was driving his car on the runway at Griffin-Spalding Airport. Officers tried to issue him tickets, but he boarded a small plane without signing. Police said he threatened to strike officers with the plane. Deputies flooded the area and ordered him to stop but he continued to taxi. Gryder attempted to fly away but didn’t have enough fuel and was arrested.
■UNITED STATES
Pioneering cardiologist dies
William Ganz, a pioneering cardiologist and one of the inventors of a specialized catheter, has died. He was 90. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center released a statement on Wednesday saying Ganz died of natural causes on Tuesday in Los Angeles. In 1970, Ganz and H.J.C. Swan invented a balloon-tipped catheter that measures heart function and blood flow in critically ill patients. The Swan-Ganz Catheter is still used by physicians across the world.
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