Entertainment Law News for 4.6.10

• In a big blow to the “net neutrality” movement, a federal appeals court has ruled that the FCC lacks authority to require broadband providers to provide equal treatment to all Internet traffic. Big win for Comcast. [THR]

• LA Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has been appointed to oversee the manslaughter case against former Michael Jackson physician Conrad Murray. Several members of Jackson’s family and a number of his fans showed up to proceedings yesterday. [AP]

• Sean Penn has been sued by a photographer who claims he was shooting a documentary about paparazzi when he was kicked and punched by the actor and had to have knee surgery as a result of the beating. Penn was charged with criminal battery over the incident last month. [TMZ]

• A judge has ruled in favor of the AP in most of its requests for evidence against artist Shepard Fairey, accused of infringing the news agency’s copyright when creating the Barack Obama “Hope” poster. The judge ordered the defendant to disclose the identities of anyone who helped delete or destroy records. [AP]

• The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a case over whether a website’s links to other sites featuring defamatory statements constitutes defamation in itself. [Canadian Press]

• One lawsuit begets another: The financial agency that says it helped celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz land a $40 million deal to help settle her financial troubles, now says it is owed $800,000 in fees, according to a new lawsuit. [NY Post]