Hollywood Foreign Press Association Wins Dismissal of Norwegian Reporter’s Antitrust Suit
Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterA judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Norwegian reporter who accused the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of freezing her out of access to celebrity interviews.Kjersti Flaa sued the organization last August, saying that she had been repeatedly denied membership. In the complaint, she argued that the HFPA functions like a cartel, as its members divvy up the market for foreign entertainment coverage, and reject anyone who poses a competitive threat.Judge Stanley Blumenfeld dismissed the lawsuit back in November, but gave Flaa an opportunity to amend her complaint.