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2 clusters · 33 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated
Warner Bros. medical drama copyright lawsuit
Overview
A California appeals court has ruled that a lawsuit filed by the estate of Michael Crichton against Warner Bros. Television may proceed to trial. The legal action, brought by Crichton’s widow Sherri Crichton, alleges that the HBO Max series “The Pitt” is an unauthorized reboot or continuation of the medical drama “ER”.
The plaintiff contends that a 1994 contract contained a “frozen rights” provision prohibiting the studio from creating spinoffs or reboots without express approval. The estate alleges that after negotiations for an “ER” revival failed, the studio developed “The Pitt” as a way to bypass those contractual obligations.
A three-judge panel from the 2nd District Court of Appeal unanimously denied Warner Bros.’ attempt to dismiss the case, finding sufficient similarities between the two shows to warrant a jury trial. The court identified shared elements such as the emergency room setting, fast-paced dialogue, medical jargon, and the focus on young, inexperienced doctors. While the court allowed the case against the studio to move forward, it dismissed claims against individual producers Noah Wyle, John Wells, and R. Scott Gemmill due to a lack of evidence regarding their awareness of potential contractual violations.
Entities
Michael Crichton · Sherri Crichton · The Pitt · Warner Bros. Television · Noah Wyle
Timeline
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[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesCalifornia court allows lawsuit against Warner Bros. over medical drama similarities
A California appeals court ruled that the estate of Michael Crichton can proceed with a lawsuit against Warner Bros., alleging “The Pitt” is an unauthorized derivative of the series “ER.”
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[BUSINESS] 31 sourcesWarner Bros. faces lawsuit as court rules 'The Pitt' and 'ER' are similar enough for trial
A California appeals court ruled that “The Pitt” is similar enough to “ER” to allow a lawsuit by Michael Crichton’s widow to proceed, alleging an unauthorized reboot by Warner Bros. Television.
Sources
24ur.com · actuanews.fr · bajotecho.com.do · bestmovie.es · blasdeportes.com · columnadigital.com · concierto.cl · cordcuttersnews.com · correiodecarajas.com.br · el-carabobeno.com · estamosaqui.mx · independent.co.uk · kitchener.citynews.ca · lanacion.com.ar · mayacomunicacion.com.mx · mediaweek.com.au · mymotherlode.com · n1info.si · nea.gov.cn · newsday.com · notiulti.com · nouvelles-du-monde.com · radiomhumahuaca.com.ar · realitytea.com · sdpnoticias.com · television.mxdwn.com · thebusinessjournal.com · thenightly.com.au · thetab.com · townhall.com · usmagazine.com · variety.com · velvetclassic.net