Jury Deciding Punitive Damages for Coppola

Jury deliberations have began to determine punitive damages in a case brought by director Francis Ford Coppola against Warner Bros. Last week, a jury in Los Angeles County Superior Court awarded Coppola $20 million in compensatory damages for his claim that Warner illegally claimed ownership of and blocked the making of a film version of “Pinocchio” he was developing. Coppola attorney Robert Chapman told the panel that Warner Bros. is worth about $6.33 billion, so punitive damages of just 1% of the company’s value would total $63 million. A decision on punitive damages is expected as early as today; Warner has already vowed to appeal the $20-million verdict.