Charges Unexpectedly Dropped in 'Hotel California' Theft Trial

Members of The Eagles, from left, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh pose with an autographed guitar after a news conference at the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 19, 2013, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
Members of The Eagles, from left, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh pose with an autographed guitar after a news conference at the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 19, 2013, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
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Charges Unexpectedly Dropped in 'Hotel California' Theft Trial

Members of The Eagles, from left, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh pose with an autographed guitar after a news conference at the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 19, 2013, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
Members of The Eagles, from left, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh pose with an autographed guitar after a news conference at the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 19, 2013, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

Prosecutors unexpectedly dropped charges Wednesday against three antique collectors accused of handling stolen lyrics for 1970s hit "Hotel California" and other tracks by rock group the Eagles.

The trial began in New York in February with veteran frontman Don Henley as a key witness and was centered on handwritten, draft lyrics allegedly stolen from the band in the 1970s.

However, closing the case on Wednesday morning, a judge said that a new 6,000-page cache of emails -- previously not disclosed to the court -- cast doubt over the prosecution.

Judge Curtis Farber said Henley and former Eagles manager Irving Azoff had used legal privilege to "shield themselves from a thorough and complete cross-examination" during the trial.

"It is now clear that both witnesses and their lawyers (...) used the privilege to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen," he said.

The three defendants, Craig Inciardi, Glenn Horowitz, and Edward Kosinski, had been charged with criminal possession of stolen goods, which they denied, according to AFP.

The allegations dated back to the late 1970s, when an author hired by the Eagles to write its biography was entrusted with around 100 pages of the band's notes, which he never returned.

Henley claimed this was theft, though the biographer did not face any criminal charges.

According to prosecutors, the author eventually sold the pages in 2005 to Horowitz, a rare book dealer, who in turn sold them to collectors Inciardi and Kosinski.

Henley said he became aware of the alleged theft in 2012 when he saw some of the notes being auctioned online for $8,500, which he bought as a way of "buying my property back".

Other pages surfaced at auctions over the following years, including a batch of thirteen pages handwritten for the song "Hotel California".

The Eagles are widely considered one of the most successful rock groups of all time. Their 1976 album "Hotel California", which featured the hit track of the same name, is the third-best selling album in the US.



Part Toy, Part Fashion, the Arrival of the Viral Labubu Was a Long Time in the Making

A person holds up Labubu dolls in a store during an organized press tour to Popland, a theme park opened by Chinese toy company Pop Mart, in Beijing, China, 02 June 2025. (EPA)
A person holds up Labubu dolls in a store during an organized press tour to Popland, a theme park opened by Chinese toy company Pop Mart, in Beijing, China, 02 June 2025. (EPA)
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Part Toy, Part Fashion, the Arrival of the Viral Labubu Was a Long Time in the Making

A person holds up Labubu dolls in a store during an organized press tour to Popland, a theme park opened by Chinese toy company Pop Mart, in Beijing, China, 02 June 2025. (EPA)
A person holds up Labubu dolls in a store during an organized press tour to Popland, a theme park opened by Chinese toy company Pop Mart, in Beijing, China, 02 June 2025. (EPA)

Labubu, the plush toy from China's Pop Mart is a social media darling, but the toothy little monsters are far from an overnight success. Having appeared a decade ago, Labubus may have finally cemented their place in the collectible toy market for years to come.

The Labubu, by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung, first appeared with pointed ears and pointy teeth, in three picture books inspired by Nordic mythology in 2015.

In 2019 Lung struck a deal with Pop Mart, a company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers, to sell Labubu figurines. But it wasn't until Pop Mart started selling Labubu plush toys on key rings in 2023 that the toothy monsters suddenly seemed to be everywhere, including in the hands of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and NBA star Dillon Brooks. K-pop singer Lisa of Blackpink began posting images of hers for her more than 100 million followers on Instagram and on TikTok, where Labubu pandemonium has broken out.

There are 1.4 million #Labubu TikTok posts and counting, videos of fans unboxing them, showing styles inspired by them, and of course, Labubu cosplay.

Fans have latched on to Labubu’s mashup of play and fashion, making them accessories on handbags, backpacks and belts, or hanging them from car mirrors.

“The character has evolved into a collectible and style symbol, resonating with fans who connect with its quirky aesthetic and unique backstory,” Emily Brough, Popmart’s head of IP licensing in the Americas, said.

Labubu has been a bonanza for Pop Mart. Its revenue more than doubled in 2024 to 13.04 billion yuan ($1.81 billion), thanks in part to its elvish monster. Revenue from Pop Mart's plush toys soared more than 1,200% in 2024, nearly 22% of its overall revenue, according to the company's annual report.

Aside from their ability to pique the interest of toy aficionados and fashionistas, Labubu latched on to the blind box phenomenon, where the purchaser doesn't know exactly which version of the plush toy they'll get.

And Pop Mart made sure there is a Labubu for everyone, regardless of income. Most are priced in a wide rage between $20 and $300, with certain collaborations or limited editions priced higher, according to Brough.

Unlike many toys, Labubu devotees include a large number of adults. Buyers ages 18 and over drove a year-over-year increase of more than $800 million in the US toy market in 2024, according to market research firm Circana. Adult shoppers, mostly female, bought the toys for themselves. In 2025's first quarter, toy sales for those ages 18 and over rose 12% from the prior-year period. At $1.8 billion, adults also accounted for the highest spending among all age groups in the quarter.

Like many retailers, Pop Mart is actively monitoring negotiations between the US and just about every one of its trading partners as prices may be impacted. The situation with China is at the forefront, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that the country “violated” an agreement with the United States on trade talks.

Right now Pop Mart, whose products are manufactured across Asia, says that it is continuously scaling production and expanding distribution across its online shop, retail stores and blind box vending machines to meet increasing demand.

Short supply has led to long lines at stores and at least one physical fight at a shopping center in the United Kingdom. Pop Mart said in an Instagram post late last month that it was temporarily suspending all in-store and blind box machine sales in the UK Peter Shipman, head of Europe, said in a Facebook post that the company is currently working on a new method to distribute toys to stores.

Resellers have become problematic and many Labubu fans are still willing to pay exorbitant price markups.

Kena Flynn was at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles recently when she stumbled upon some Labubus being sold at a kiosk. Flynn said in a TikTok on Sunday that the prices were “really bad,” but her boyfriend bought two anyway.

“At a certain point, you can’t buy them,” Flynn said in her video. “I just want a Labubu and I cannot buy one from Pop Mart, so here we are.”

Looking to keep up with the overwhelming demand, Pop Mart says it's on track for 50 more retail locations in the US by the end of the year. That'll give shoppers more chances to hunt for Labubus, as Pop Mart says it's planning multiple new Labubu releases tied to seasonal moments and holidays throughout the rest of the year.