Bubba the Love Sponge scored a victory in a Tampa courtroom on Wednesday as the temporary restraining order regarding a new documentary was dissolved.
Earlier this month, Nick Bollea and Terry McCoy filed a suit against the radio host claiming copyright infringement, federal trademark infringement, and violating a 2012 settlement he signed with Terry Bollea.
The plaintiffs have argued over the usage of footage from the sex tape contained in the documentary, mainly still photos and one clip.
Bubba the Love Sponge responded to the suit last week, calling the temporary restraining order legally and constitutionally unsustainable”. His defense included not being a producer of the documentary and that it is wholly owned, controlled, produced, and distributed by Woltz Films.
He asked for the temporary restraining order to be dissolved due to a “lack of standing”.
The documentary, Video Killed the Radio Star, profiles the relationship between Bollea and Bubba and the sex tape scandal involving the deceased wrestler, which broke in 2012.
The plaintiffs secured a temporary restraining order before a screening of the documentary, forcing the producers to edit out a portion of the doc, but they went ahead with the screening.
The three-hour documentary was released on multiple digital services last Friday, with a hearing set for Wednesday.
The sides met for a 28-minute session in the Tampa Division of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, under Judge Thomas Barber.
Barber dissolved the temporary restraining order; however, the case has not been dismissed yet.
The motion for an injunction was denied by the court.
