Netflix slaps creators of the "Unofficial Bridgerton Musical" with a copyright infringement suit

Netflix slaps creators of the "Unofficial Bridgerton Musical" with a copyright infringement suit

The Grammy-winning album never would have released without Netflix's blessing in the first place. The suit was filed by the company only after the unauthorised Kennedy Centre show.

Online streaming giant, Netflix has filed a suit against creators of an allegedly unauthorised musical stage production of its popular Regency-era series "Bridgerton," for copyright infringement.

The "Unofficial Bridgerton Musical", a concept album inspired by Shonda Rhimes' Regency-era Netflix series based on novels by Julia Quinn was released last year. The songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear who perform as Barlow & Bear, were awarded the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album after receiving the green light from Netflix to release the project.

The lawsuit argues that the creators "have taken valuable intellectual property from the Netflix original series Bridgerton to build an international brand for themselves" after staging "for-profit" performances of the album.

In an agreement, Netflix it gave Barlow & Bear; not only to create an album based directly on its intellectual property, but to sell that album for a profit.

Whilst the exclusive right of the series was owned and exercised by Netflix, it that only given Barlow and Bear permission to create the album version of the musical and was to be "consulted before Barlow & Bear took steps beyond streaming their album online in audio-only format." It further claimed by Netflix that the agreement was violated by the creators when the said Musical was performed live for the first time ever Unofficial Bridgerton Musical live concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on July 26. The promotional advertising for the sold-out show stated that the Bridgerton trademark was used with permission, and the event was not endorsed or sponsored by Netflix.

The complaint further states that the live show "featured over a dozen songs that copied "verbatim" dialogue, character traits and expression, and other elements from Bridgerton the series." The lawsuit adds that the streaming service "vigorously objected" to both the show, the newly-announced performance set for London's Royal Albert Hall, and the duo's Bridgerton-themed merchandise.

"Review of the infringing works also demonstrates Barlow & Bear copied liberally and nearly identically from Bridgerton across a number of original elements of expression," the suit states. "Lyrics are lifted verbatim from dialogue and characters, and plot, pace, sequence of events, mood, setting, and themes are replicated faithfully."

In a statement, Netflix said, "Barlow & Bear's conduct began on social media, but stretches 'fan fiction' well past its breaking point […] It is a blatant infringement of intellectual property rights."