« The Daily Memo - 4/26/06 | Main | I’ve Fallen for You like a Blind Roofer. »
You Wanna Hear the Most Annoying Sound in the World?
In today’s celebrity lawsuit roundup, we learn from People magazine that Jack Bunick has filed a copyright lawsuit against Ms. Jenny from the Block for allegedly stealing his idea for a series based on his move from Brooklyn to Miami. According to court papers, Bunick is claiming that “South Beach,” a television series executive-produced by Jennifer Lopez, was ripped off from a pilot episode for a show he wrote in 1999 called “South Beach Miami.” Bunick’s script was about two young men from Brooklyn who travel to South Beach, where one of them quickly gets involved with the club and modeling scenes. On the other hand, JLo’s show was about best friends Matt and Vincent, who “abandon their world as they know it and head to the alluring paradise of sandy beaches, beautiful people and hot spots in glamorous South Beach.” Bunick is seeking monetary damages and an injunction asking that UPN stop airing the show, which won’t be too difficult because it has already been cancelled.
Although the premises to both shows do sound surprisingly similar, in my non-expert opinion, it doesn’t really sound like Bunick has much of a case. I mean, if you think about it in broad strokes, almost any sitcom these days sounds suspiciously copied from another. After all, the makers of “Three’s Company” didn’t sue the folks behind “Two Guys and a Pizza Place” because that sitcom involved two people living with someone else of the opposite sex. Likewise, the creators of “Friends” couldn’t successfully win a lawsuit against subsequent sitcoms with similar premises; otherwise, the Los Angeles County court system would come to a screeching halt.
Besides, do you really want to advertise that you were responsible for the concept behind “South Beach?” I mean, c’mon. Isn’t that a bit like suing the Farrelly brothers, claiming that their idea for Dumb and Dumber was based on your life? Seriously, in the legal profession, there is a solid rule of thumb: Never advertise your own stupidity, even if there are monetary damages involved.
Correction: I have just received note from the American Bar Association (ABA) that the aforementioned rule of thumb is inaccurate. In fact, it should actually read: “Only advertise your own stupidity if there are monetary damages involved.” I apologize for the confusion.
