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Olson v. National Broadcasting Company, Inc.

855 F.2d 1446 (1988)

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Olson v. National Broadcasting Company, Inc.

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
855 F.2d 1446 (1988)

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Facts

Ernest Olson (plaintiff) brought suit against National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (defendant) for copyright infringement, claiming that NBC’s show “The A-Team” copied his original series pilot for a show entitled “Cargo.” The works shared a common idea: both were group action-adventure series designed to show Vietnam veterans in a positive light. The district court granted a judgment notwithstanding the verdict to NBC after concluding that “The A-Team” was not substantially similar to “Cargo” under either the extrinsic or intrinsic test. Olson appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Goodwin, J.)

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