A judge has overturned a $128million punitive damages award to the stars and producers of the Fox TV show Bones. It is just the latest development in a long-running battle between 20th Century Fox Television and actors David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, as well as the show's producers. The creative team behind Bones claims that Fox ripped them of tens of millions of dollars in profit when it sold the show's streaming rights to Hulu, which is partially owned by the company. Arbitrator Peter Lichtman awarded $179million to the show's stars and producers after he found that 20th Century Fox Television had defrauded the creative team. But that decision was overturned by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Rico on Thursday. The ruling leaves in place a $50million award for compensatory damages, interest, and attorney fees. A judge has overturned a $128million punitive damages award to the producers of the Fox TV show Bones, as well as its stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz 'We are pleased with the Court's decision to strike punitive damages from the award and vindicating our position,' Fox said in a statement. 'We look forward to concluding the litigation.' David Boreanaz and Deschanel, the stars of Bones from 2005 through 2017, sued Fox in 2015, saying it denied them residual profits by licensing the show to Fox's TV division and to Hulu for below-market rates. They were joined by executive producer Barry Josephson and author Kathy Reichs, who wrote the novels Bones is based on. Daniel Saunders, the group's attorney, plans to appeal the decision. 'Today's decision in no way impacts the arbitrator's findings that our clients are owed more than $50million for Fox's fraudulent and deceitful accounting,' he said in a statement. 'It deals only with the technical issue of whether our clients waived their right to receive punitive damages.' 'As the arbitrator concluded, they did not - and we look forward to showing the Court of Appeal why it should reverse today's ruling' In February, Litchman found that Fox had stiffed the show's stars and producers out of $10.1million in profits with its Hulu deal. The creative team behind Bones claims Fox ripped them of tens of millions of dollars in profit when it sold the show's streaming rights to Hulu, which is partially owned by the company At the time 20th Century Fox Television was owned by Rupert Murdoch. It was included in Walt Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March. According to the arbitration documents, Fox made a deal to air Bones with the network and streaming service Hulu, which was partially owned by the studio at the time and is now owned by Walt Disney. The deal, which was to renew Bones following its fourth season, saw the studio negotiating to favor itself rather than renewing the existing deal that would have favored the stars and creative team, according to Litchman. Litchman said Fox, which aired the crime drama series from 2005 to 2017, lied and covered up financial details of the deal. Josephson claimed James Murdoch once told him Bones was maybe 'the most profitable show in Fox's history', according to the Hollywood Reporter. Bones made nearly half a billion dollars in its first seven seasons and the actors and producers had claimed Fox defrauded them of their rightful profit participation. The decision sheds light on the complicated deals made between studios and streaming services, especially if one company has stakes in all of them. Executive producer Barry Josephson claims James Murdoch (right) once told him Bones was maybe 'the most profitable show in Fox's history'. It ran from 2005 to 2017 Studios are responsible for selling the shows. If they are within the same structure as a streaming service - like Fox and Hulu were - they can underhandedly charge them less licensing fees. This means less profits are shared between the actors and producers. Litchman accused Fox of doing this in the legal dispute with the creative team behind Bones. In the ruling, he blasted senior Fox executives - including Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice - and criticized Fox for its 'intentional acts of fraud and malice'. 'The more these individuals testified, the more incredulous their testimony appeared,' he wrote. Rice is now in charge of Walt Disney Television and Walden oversees Disney's ABC and the Disney Channel. Bones made nearly half a billion dollars in its first seven seasons and the actors and producers claim Fox defrauded them of their rightful profit participation. In February the arbitrator of the case blasted senior Fox executives Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice (pictured) 'The obvious inferences of self-dealing, conflict of interest and the lack of any arm's length negotiations leap off the page,' Litchman said. Boreanaz and Deschanel both celebrated the ruling in February. 'We are so proud of the hard work we did on Bones for 12 seasons and only ever wanted Fox to live up to its promises and contractual obligations,' Deschanel said in a statement at the time. 'I am grateful that such a well-respected arbitrator reviewed the facts so thoroughly before ruling the way he did. I look forward to the legal system continuing to hold Fox accountable so that we can all move forward.' 'It's clear that what we were saying all along was true: we were owed additional compensation for our work,' Boreanz added. 'Now I can only hope that Fox is made to settle its obligations to us without further delay.' 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