NY Times sues Weinstein Company for $229,568 it failed to pay for print advertising-NY Times, 12/6/17

12/6/17, "New York Times Co. Sues Weinstein Company Over Unpaid Bills," NY Times, Sydney Ember, Tiffany Hsu 

"The New York Times Company is suing the Weinstein Company for failing to pay for print advertisements that ran in the national and New York editions of the newspaper, according to a legal complaint filed on Wednesday.

The Times said the film studio owed it $229,567.68, according to the complaint, which was filed in New York State Supreme Court.

The advertisements featured Weinstein Company films including “Tulip Fever,” “Wind River” and “Leap!”

It is not uncommon for The Times to turn to the courts to extract payment from advertisers. The news organization has filed 27 such collection actions in court this year.

“This is routine business, being handled in the normal manner,” The Times said in a statement.

The complaint was filed a day after The Times published its latest investigation into the film mogul Harvey Weinstein, the co-founder of the Weinstein Company who has been accused by dozens of women of sexual misconduct, including rape.

On Oct. 5, The Times first published the allegations against Mr. Weinstein. Three days later, the Weinstein Company, which includes his brother, Bob Weinstein, among its executive ranks, fired him. On Oct. 17, Harvey Weinstein resigned from the company’s board.

A spokesman for the Weinstein Company did not respond to requests for comment.

Since the allegations against Mr. Weinstein have emerged, the company has been trying to avoid bankruptcy. Colony Capital, the equity firm run by Thomas Barrack Jr., explored the idea of purchasing the Weinstein Company, only to have talks break down last month. 

With the company in danger of bankruptcy, it sold North American distribution rights to “Paddington 2,” the sequel to its 2015 animated hit, to Warner Bros. for $32 million. The Weinstein Company made that deal last month and split the money with Studio Canal, the production company attached to the film, which is scheduled for release early next year."

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