Abigail Barlow and Emily Bears are being sued by Netflix for staging their Grammy-winning performances. Bridgerton’s unofficial musical.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in DC District Court, the streamer alleges that the duo and their company, Barlow & Bear, profited from “valuable intellectual property from the Netflix original series.” bridgertonThrough a performance of the musical at the Kennedy Center on 26 July, and for an upcoming performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, as well as “On Your Own Line”. bridgerton– Themed goods.
“Bridgerton represents the creative work and hard-earned success of hundreds of Netflix artists and employees,” the lawsuit states. “Netflix holds the exclusive right to create bridgerton songs, musicals or other derivative works based on bridgerton. Barlow & Bear cannot claim this right, valued by the hard work of others, without permission. But that’s exactly what they did. ”
The suit alleges that the songwriting duo did so despite repeated arguments with Netflix that their work was “unauthorised”. Netflix calls the album and Barlow and Bear’s performances “blatant violations of intellectual property rights” amid efforts to “build an international brand for them”.
“Every step of the way, Barlow & Bear representatives repeatedly assured Netflix that they understood Netflix’s position and were led to believe that Netflix would be consulted before Barlow & Bear took steps to stream their album online in streaming format. only audio. A Barlow & Bear agent said he wasn’t interested in meddling with Netflix’s rights or just being known as ‘bridgerton Girls.’
“Barlow & Bear’s representations were false,” he continues. “Despite claims to the contrary, Barlow & Bear now claims White card Permission to benefit from Netflix’s protected intellectual property as they see fit.”
In the lawsuit, Netflix acknowledges that Bear and Barlow were “among countless other fans inspired by the series” who began posting musical compositions based on the show’s characters, dialogue and plot on social media platforms like TikTok after its release. in December. 2020 year. But, according to the network, his live show featured content taken “literally” from the series and performed “in front of a sold-out audience at the Kennedy Center,” where tickets start at $149, plus VIP packages.
The show featured over a dozen songs that literally copied the characters’ dialogue, quirks and expressions, and other elements. bridgerton Series. It included dramatic portraits. bridgerton Broadway cast characters get emotional when performing the songs that make up the “musical”, says the lawsuit. “During the performance, Barlow & Bear misrepresented to viewers that they were using Netflix’s BRIDGERTON trademark, ‘with permission,’ and Netflix strongly objected.”
In response to the lawsuit, Netflix, producer Shonda Rhimes and bridgerton Author Julia Quinn released the full statement, with a spokesperson for the streamer saying that it “supports fan-generated content, but Barlow & Bear have gone as far as trying to create various revenue streams for themselves without using official permission.” bridgerton IP ”
The declaration says in the language of the document. “We went to great lengths to work with Barlow & Bear and they refused to cooperate. The creators, cast, writers and crew put their heart and soul into it. bridgertonAnd we are taking steps to protect their rights.”
Rhimes also noted the sheer amount of fan content that followed the show’s December 2020 debut, but claims that Barlow and Bear turned the “celebration” into a “raw take” on the IP.
“It is a great joy to see the public fall in love bridgerton and looking at the creative ways they express their adoration,” Rhimes said in a statement. “What began as a joyous celebration of Barlow & Bear on social media has turned into a brazen appropriation of intellectual property for Barlow’s sole financial gain. & Bear. This property was created by Julia Quinn and brought to life on screen thanks to the hard work of countless people. Just as Barlow & Bear would not allow others to appropriate its intellectual property for profit, Netflix cannot stand by crossed and let Barlow & Bear do the same. bridgerton.”
In a statement, Quinn called the duo “extremely talented” but said there’s a “difference” between writing for TikTok and “acting for commercial purposes.”
“Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear are incredibly talented and I was so happy and excited when they started covering Bridgerton’s songs and sharing them with other fans on TikTok,” Quinn said in a message. “But there is a difference between writing on TikTok and recording and performing for commercial purposes. I hope that Barlow & Bear, who share my position as independent creative professionals, understand the need to protect the intellectual property of other professionals, including the characters and stories I create. bridgerton novels for over twenty years.
In April, the duo won the 2022 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, and late last year, they performed “Ocean Away,” a song from their music album. bridgerton With Darren Criss at the Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Concert. Their music gained popularity in 2021 after they posted a collection of songwriting and music video performances on TikTok, including the official Netflix Twitter account. On twitter in January 2021.
the hollywood reporter Representatives for Bear and Barlow were contacted for comment.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
