Update on Hardyz/Anthem fight over Broken gimmick ownership and rights

The Sports Illustrated website has a story up recapping the whole Hardy Boyz vs Anthem Sports and Entertainment fight over the Broken ownership and trademark.

SI says that the whole ordeal was nearly settled within the last month but then Anthem requested something that the Matt and Jeff would not sign off on.

The original deal, according to sources close to the negotiations, required Matt and Jeff to pay up to $15,000 for the trademark and all parties would have to sign a non-disparagement clause. If that clause is broken – no pun intended – a $1,000 fine would have been levied for the first offense, and then $5,000 for every offense afterward. A press release was also in the works announcing that both Anthem and the Hardy Boyz were ending their battle on good terms.

But then Anthem wanted 50% of all revenue that the Hardy Boyz generate, including that from Jeff Hardy’s music, something that both Matt and Jeff flatly refused.

Over the past few weeks, the Hardy Boyz has been referencing to the Broken characters both on their Twitter and on WWE television while Matt has said publicly that this is getting closer to being resolved.