( April 6, 2026, 3:06 PM EDT) -- LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge confirmed an arbitral award worth more than $2.1 million in damages and attorney fees in a favor of a French company that brought claims against the owner of the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” franchise, opining that while the arbitrator’s amendment of the award to triple the damages likely contradicted the doctrine of functus officio, the arbitrator did not exceed his authority under the applicable arbitration rules....