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Robinson v. Viacom International, Inc.

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9781, Copy. L. Rep. (CCH) P27480 (1995)

Facts

Tom Robinson and Phil Herter (plaintiffs) copyrighted a treatment for a proposed television series about a modern suburban family haunted by the ghosts of a 1950s sitcom family. The show was not produced. The American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. (ABC) (defendant) and Nickelodeon networks aired a show called Hi Honey! I’m Home, about a modern single-parent family that interacts with a family reminiscent of 1950s sitcoms. Robinson and Herter brought a copyright-infringement action against ABC, Viacom International, Inc., MTV Networks, Ripe Productions, Inc., Penny Stallings, and Rick Mitz (defendants). Robinson and Herter asserted that no show about a modern family’s interactions with a 1950s sitcom family had been produced up to that point.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning

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