A writer named William Collier filed a lawsuit in federal court in California this week, accusing Netflix, Adam McKay, and his production company Hyperobject Industries of stealing the story from his book “In Extremis, Two Novels” after he sent the text of the story to his daughter while she was working at Jimmy Miller Entertainment, which was McKay’s management company at the time.
Previous Lawsuits
This is not the first time Netflix has faced a lawsuit over copyright infringement, as the company has been sued over various projects ranging from the documentary series “The Puppet Master” to the popular series “Stranger Things.”
In one of the previous lawsuits, a former crew member of the show “Survivor” sued Netflix and the New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions company, claiming that the show “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch” was his original idea, alleging that Gervas Peterson was working at the auction house when she and another colleague registered a script for a movie titled “The Goldin Boys” at the U.S. Copyright Office. The lawsuit is still pending.
Irish Rover Entertainment, owned by Jeffrey Kennedy, also sued Netflix and “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer after accusing them of stealing characters, story, dialogue, and themes from a script he wrote about a teenage girl with special powers fighting monsters from another dimension. Kennedy dropped the lawsuit in August, a month before the trial, while Netflix argued that the stories differ on “almost every conceivable scale.”
Main Background
Netflix has been producing documentaries, TV shows, and original films since it released the crime series “Lilyhammer” in 2014, which tells the story of a former mobster in New York trying to start a new life in Norway. Major deals with creators like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, along with acquiring existing content, have made Netflix compete with leading production companies in the field, and it has also led to purchasing well-known content like Roald Dahl stories and characters such as “Willy Wonka” and “Matilda” for over $700 million in 2021. Famous stars like Adam Sandler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, and Robert De Niro have appeared in Netflix original works.
Last year, Netflix sued Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow over the creation of “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.” The duo gained fame on TikTok by releasing original songs inspired by the characters and story of the series, eventually releasing an album on Spotify. Netflix initially praised the musical creativity on social media, but later filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement after the duo held a paid performance at the Kennedy Center and sold merchandise branded with the “Bridgerton” series. Netflix later dropped the lawsuit.
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