WWE Responds to Hart Lawsuit

WWE's lead attorney, Jerry McDevitt, is calling Martha Hart's lawsuit against WWE and the McMahon Family a "political stunt."

McDevitt, responding on behalf of WWE to the Associated Press, claims Martha Hart's lawsuit is the first time WWE has heard from her since both sides settled Owen Hart's wrongful death lawsuit in 2000.

Martha Hart has refuted the claim that her lawsuit is politically-motivated with former WWE CEO Linda McMahon running for U.S. Senate.

Martha Hart alleges in her lawsuit filed today in Connecticut that WWE has used Owen Hart's likeness to their profit without her permission. She cited the recent release of the "Hart & Soul" DVD as the latest example.

McDevitt responded to the AP that "WWE has the right to use its own copyrighted material."

Hart claims to have sent WWE a "cease and desist" letter on March 25, 2010. The lawsuit reads that "the Estate, through counsel, immediately notified WWE that it had no permission to use Owen's legal name or likeness in connection with the Video; nevertheless, the WWE released the Video for sale."

She added that the defendants (WWE, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon) "did not seek or obtain the Estate's consent to use Owen's likeness or legal name or other Original Intellectual Property for promoting or packaging the Video, and have no right to do so without the consent of the Estate."

source: pwtorch.com