NEW YORK (AP) -The family of New York Yankees great Mickey Mantle has settled a dispute with the operator of a Web site accused of promoting too much of the Hall of Famer’s merchandise.
In a settlement filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, both sides agreed that Lewis E. Rothgeb can promote a film he made about Mantle on his Web site with merchandise that includes the name or logo of the movie. But he must limit sales to items related to the film, “Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes to Life,” under the deal.
Among items to be removed from the site as part of the settlement are a page displaying Mantle’s 1961 World Series ring, quotes of eulogies delivered at a funeral after his August 1995 death and a page showing Mantle’s Hall of Fame induction speech.
“The Mantles are very pleased that the litigation is over. They’re very pleased with the result,” said Dorothy M. Weber, a lawyer for Mantle’s widow, Merlyn, and his two living sons, Danny and David.
She said Danny Mantle told her: “This has been a really good week for the family. It’s the week of a historic anniversary.”
On April 17, 1951, Mantle made his Major League debut and on the same date in 1953, he hit a 565-foot homer at Griffith Stadium in Washington.
Rothgeb, a San Francisco resident, created his Web site to promote the film he made after signing a contract with Mantle in 1988. The documentary resulted from a lengthy interview Rothgeb conducted with the baseball star at the outfielder’s Dallas home.
In a 2004 lawsuit, the Mantle estate claimed that Rothgeb created an unauthorized site in October 1998 that he tried to pass off as the “Official” licensed internet site for Mantle.
The 56-year-old Rothgeb said he first met Mantle when he was 7 years old, and began working on the film after meeting Mantle at a baseball camp in the 1980s.
Rothgeb said he is glad the lawsuit is behind him so he can concentrate on promoting the Web site.
“We’re very happy with the settlement. I couldn’t be much happier,” he said.
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