US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary

"Jersey Shore" star Snooki denied name trademark

LOS ANGELES - "Jersey Shore's" Nicole Polizzi lost a legal hold on her famous "Snooki" nickname after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected her trademark application on grounds that a similar character already beat her to the punch, according to The Smoking Gun website. Since 2004, the publishers of book featuring a cartoon cat by the name of "Snooky" have retained the rights to the name, which was trademarked for the kids' book "Adventures of Snooky."

Zsa Zsa Gabor hospitalized after surgery

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood legend Zsa Zsa Gabor underwent surgery to treat blood clotting on Friday and was resting comfortably after being rushed to a hospital earlier in the day following recent hip replacement surgery. The Hungarian-born actress, who has been a fixture in Hollywood movies and on television for decades, was taken to the University of California Los Angeles medical center.

Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln dies

NEW YORK - Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln, whose six-decade career included acting and composing, and who participated in the civil rights movement, died in New York on Saturday at age 80, The New York Times reported, citing her brother. The Chicago-born Lincoln, who was often said to have been strongly influenced by famed jazz singer Billie Holiday, began her singing career in the mid-1950s with "Abbey Lincoln's Affair...a Story of a Girl in Love" and performed until shortly before her death.

"Toy Story 3" top-grossing animated film of all time

LOS ANGELES - Woody and his pals have elbowed aside the green ogre, with Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3" climbing above Paramount/DreamWorks' "Shrek 2" to become the top-grossing animated film worldwide. Walt Disney Studios announced Friday that "Toy" has taken in $920 million at the global box office, topping "Shrek's" $919.8 million. Globally, it's Disney's fourth-highest-grossing film, trailing two of the installments in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland."

Dina Lohan blames "hardball" judge for jail

NEW YORK - Lindsay Lohan's mother blamed her daughter's jail term on a judge that "played hardball" and defended the troubled star on Friday, but said she would retreat from Hollywood after finishing a stint in rehab to move back to New York. Dina Lohan told U.S. morning talk show NBC's "Today" she didn't think her 24 year-old daughter deserved jail time -- "not for this particular offense," she said.

Gordon Ramsay in lucrative TV deal

LONDON deal to acquire U.K. independent producer Optomen, which includes One Potato Two Potato -- the 50/50 joint production venture shared by Optomen and Ramsay that is responsible for such shows such as "The F Word" and "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares."

"The Expendables" eyes brawny box office debut

LOS ANGELES - Julia Roberts doesn't have a prayer against Sylvester Stallone at the weekend box office in North America. Sylvester's all-star mercenary thriller "The Expendables" will outmuscle Roberts' "Eat Pray Love" as well as fellow newcomer "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," giving the venerable action hero one of the biggest openings of his career.

Key Pink Floyd albums drop from digital market

NEW YORK - If you're looking to buy the classic Pink Floyd albums "The Wall" or "Animals" as digital downloads, you're out of luck. Those albums as well as other post-"Dark Side of the Moon" titles like "Wish You Were Here" and "The Final Cut" -- all originally released on Columbia Records but distributed by EMI since 2000 -- have been pulled from digital retailers like iTunes and Amazon's MP3 store because EMI's contract covering those albums expired June 30.

Paris Hilton to vigorously defend bad hair day

LOS ANGELES - Many people have bad hair days, but one that cost $35 million? Not even Paris Hilton could do that -- at least, that's what she says. Lawyers for the hotel heiress and socialite on Thursday said they "will pursue all of our defenses vigorously and any potential counter claims" against a company that sued Hilton for $35 million claiming she broke a contract to wear its hair extensions.

Authors explore Grateful Dead's marketing vision

DENVER/NEW YORK - The Grateful Dead was renowned for many things. But were its members business role models as well? Brian Halligan, co-founder/CEO of marketing software firm HubSpot, and marketing strategist/author David Meerman Scott think they were. The two self-described Deadheads have teamed up to write "Marketing Lessons From the Grateful Dead," which hit stores earlier this month. In their book, Halligan and Scott discuss how the Dead's members were pioneers in embracing many of the marketing and career-building strategies that artists pursue today, such as concentrating on touring, maintaining fan mailing lists, establishing their own ticketing office that offered the most loyal fans the best seats and offering "free" music by allowing fans to tape their shows.