Judge considers ‘Borat’ lawsuit

A West Los Angeles judge took under submission Thursday a request by two University of South Carolina fraternity brothers who want their scenes removed from the blockbuster 20th Century Fox comedy “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” starring Sacha Baron Cohen.

Superior Court Judge Joseph S. Biderman engaged both sides in extensive questioning on legal issues arising from the headline-grabbing lawsuit.

The plaintiffs claim the producers got them drunk before having them sign release forms and also assured them the film would be shown only in Kazakhstan. They want those scenes removed from the film and from the future DVD release of “Borat.”

In the film, the young men appear intoxicated while watching the infamous Pamela Anderson-Tommy Lee sex tape.

Attorney Louis P. Petrich, who represents Fox and the filmmakers, said, “We feel, without any doubt, they knew what they were doing, what they had bargained for.”

Biderman gave no indication when he would rule.