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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: DrBear on May 31, 2011, 04:27:27 PM

Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: DrBear on May 31, 2011, 04:27:27 PM
On the grounds that there has never been a TV show that copied the format of another TV show, Tokyo Broadcasting is suing ABC (http://"http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/is-abcs-wipeout-a-rip-193114")over "Wipeout" and its similarities to a whole bunch of Japanese game shows.

Sorry, I couldn't resist the headline. You know MXC would have used it.
Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: DoItRockapella on May 31, 2011, 04:42:11 PM
Old news. As the linked article states, this lawsuit was filed years ago.

Now, is Wipeout an obvious clone of every Japanese game show with an obstacle course? Yes - but this article also states that TBS considers Takeshi's Castle and MXC two seperate shows. Right...

While we're on the topic, weren't the American WWTBAM producers supposed to pay millions to Celedor?

Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: Jimmy Owen on May 31, 2011, 05:09:27 PM
"Treasure Isle" was first.
Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: weaklink75 on May 31, 2011, 05:33:42 PM
Quote from: DrBear on May 31, 2011, 04:27:27 PM
On the grounds that there has never been a TV show that copied the format of another TV show, Tokyo Broadcasting is suing ABC (http://"http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/is-abcs-wipeout-a-rip-193114")over "Wipeout" and its similarities to a whole bunch of Japanese game shows.

Sorry, I couldn't resist the headline. You know MXC would have used it.

Indeed....



(Though I wonder what took them so long to sue- 3 years is a long time)
Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: Mr. Armadillo on June 01, 2011, 08:40:33 AM
They actually did sue three years ago.  It's taken the Reporter this long to notice.

Quote from: DoItRockapella on May 31, 2011, 04:42:11 PM
Yes - but this article also states that TBS considers Takeshi's Castle and MXC two seperate shows. Right...
Even worse...Sasuke and Ninja Warrior. The latter is more or less a straight dub of the former, no?  Been awhile since I saw NW.
Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: NickS on June 01, 2011, 12:22:11 PM
Quote from: Mr. Armadillo on June 01, 2011, 08:40:33 AM
They actually did sue three years ago.  It's taken the Reporter this long to notice.

Quote from: DoItRockapella on May 31, 2011, 04:42:11 PM
Yes - but this article also states that TBS considers Takeshi's Castle and MXC two seperate shows. Right...
Even worse...Sasuke and Ninja Warrior. The latter is more or less a straight dub of the former, no?  Been awhile since I saw NW.

Correct.  There's also Kunoichi for Women of Ninja Warrior, and then Kinniku Banzuke is Unbeatable Banzuke here.
Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: clemon79 on June 01, 2011, 12:32:28 PM
Okay, first off, my comments are being made not having RTFA.

But there seems to be a difference here. First off, did TBS grant (and by "grant" I mean "sell") approval to MXC or Ninja Warrior? 'Cuz if they did I can see them turning a blind eye.

It also seems to me that those two shows are more "derivative works" of their Japanese counterparts than anything, whereas Wipeout is theft-of-concept, if indeed the concept of "making snarky-and-only-marginally-funny comments while people run an impossible obstacle course" is copyrightable.
Title: Will court break Wipeout's Big Balls?
Post by: NickS on June 01, 2011, 01:25:02 PM
Quote from: clemon79 on June 01, 2011, 12:32:28 PM
But there seems to be a difference here. First off, did TBS grant (and by "grant" I mean "sell") approval to MXC or Ninja Warrior? 'Cuz if they did I can see them turning a blind eye.

As far as I know, yes to both.  Remember reading somewhere there might have been an issue with MXC but Ninja Warrior's a yes for sure.

/Guy likes
//I would RFTA, if only for the entertainment law debate; much better than a Yahoo! comments Rogue's Gallery