Bill Nye Takes Disney To Court Over $28 Million In Royalties

In a case that is sure to test the loyalties and priorities of millions of 90s kids, Bill Nye "The Science Guy" is taking The Walt Disney Company to court over profits generated by his classic 1990s educational television show. And he's looking for an estimated $28 million in damages, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Nye has been in conflict with Disney for years over the royalties from his popular TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy. He claims that the company misled him about the show's profits, alleging that Disney has a long and consistent pattern of under-reporting revenue and improperly applying deductions. This ongoing dispute has culminated in a significant legal battle that could have implications for many creators.

The saga began when Nye signed a distribution deal with Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment back in 1993. According to reports from Newsweek, in 2008, Nye was notified of an alleged accounting error on his yearly profit participation statement, stating he owed Disney $500,000. When he attempted to negotiate a lower payment, Disney insisted that he request an audit. However, his lawsuit asserts that Disney "had no intention of ever accommodating" such an audit. Years later, an auditor found more than $28 million in underreported profits, leading Nye to seek $28 million in damages, including punitive damages.

The court has scheduled the trial for May of next year, marking a setback for Disney, which had sought to move the case into summary adjudication. In a statement to Newsweek, Nye's lawyers expressed disappointment that the court did not find Disney in breach of fiduciary duty:

"While we are disappointed with the Court's ruling yesterday and the flawed legal reasoning upon which it relied, we welcome the opportunity to litigate the remainder of our clients' case at trial and finally recover the damages Mr. Nye and his fellow producers are entitled to, including an award of punitive damages. More importantly, it is our hope that this case, which Disney has fought so hard to stall, will finally shine some light upon the improper accounting practices that Disney utilizes to unjustly deprive profit participants, like our clients, of their fair share of revenues from the programming that they work so hard to create."

Now, Nye will get his day in court with Disney, starting in May 2020.