"New Girl" lawsuit back in play

A judge has ruled that an amended lawsuit against 21st Century Fox will not be dismissed without being heard. 

The suit was filed by Stephanie Counts and Shari Gold in California federal court early last year. It alleged that the hit comedy "New Girl" derived from their proposals for a television show or movie that could have been called "Square One." The plaintiffs sued Fox, William Morris Endeavor, show runner Liz Meriwether and executive producer Peter Chernin, claiming them lifted Counts and Gold's script after they shopped it through WME and proposed actress Zooey Deschanel (the show's current lead) for the starring role. 

In October U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson rejected the original lawsuit, saying that he was confused about the issue due to ambiguity in the plaintiffs's claims. He dismissed the claim without prejudice and asked for clarity and precision if the suit was brought again.

It appears Counts and Gold took the judge's advice because the new lawsuit, filed in the first week of March, contains significant changes. Wilson wrote regarding the complaint, "Though it still mentions all four versions of Square One, the SAC now specifies that Plaintiffs allege that Square One 2008 and Square One 2009 were copied by Defendants to create the New Girl pilot script titled 'Chicks and Dicks' and the first season of New Girl."

The court will now proceed to examine early episodes of "New Girl" to judge their similarity to the plaintiffs' works.

Dealing with copyrighted material and intellectual property can be a tricky business. To ensure that your rights are always protected, and to avoid unnecessary litigation, it is important to consult with an experienced business attorney.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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