{"id":11289,"date":"2022-07-31T14:37:24","date_gmt":"2022-07-31T14:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/07\/31\/netflix-sues-creators-behind-the-unofficial-bridgerton-musical-following-sold-out-show\/"},"modified":"2022-07-31T14:37:25","modified_gmt":"2022-07-31T14:37:25","slug":"netflix-sues-creators-behind-the-unofficial-bridgerton-musical-following-sold-out-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/07\/31\/netflix-sues-creators-behind-the-unofficial-bridgerton-musical-following-sold-out-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix sues creators behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical following sold-out show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/7\/30\/23285371\/netflix-sues-creators-unofficial-bridgerton-musical-emily-bear-abigail-barlow<\/a>
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Netflix is suing Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical<\/em> over copyright infringement, as first reported by Deadline<\/em><\/a>. The streaming giant filed the complaint in a Washington, DC district court just days after Barlow and Bear held a live, sold-out show dedicated to their Bridgerton<\/em>-inspired album.<\/p>\n

After Bridgerton<\/em>\u2019s 2020 debut, Barlow and Bear began creating music based on the Netflix original series and promoting the endeavor on TikTok, where it quickly gained popularity. As fans requested more content, Barlow and Bear soon had enough to create a 15-song album that went on to win a Grammy in April, a first for music originating on TikTok<\/a>. On July 26th, Barlow and Bear held a concert<\/a> at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, featuring live performances and music from the National Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n

In its complaint obtained by Deadline<\/em><\/a>, Netflix alleges that Barlow and Bear\u2019s content \u201cstretches \u2018fan fiction\u2019 well past its breaking point\u201d and that it\u2019s a \u201cblatant infringement of intellectual property rights.\u201d Despite praising Barlow and Bear\u2019s work itself,<\/a> Netflix claims it repeatedly told the pair that Bridgerton<\/em>-inspired compositions \u201cwere not authorized<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netflix alleges that the live Unofficial Bridgerton<\/em> performance also wasn\u2019t approved by the company, and that Barlow and Bear \u201crefused\u201d to negotiate a license that would allow them to distribute their album and hold live performances without issue. <\/p>\n

\u201cBarlow & Bear lacked any license, approval, or authorization to exploit Bridgerton intellectual property in connection with the Kennedy Center performance,\u201d Netflix states. \u201cAnd to the extent Barlow & Bear ever claimed to believe they had such license, approval, or authorization \u2014 despite Netflix\u2019s clear statements to the contrary \u2014 it has now been unequivocally revoked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netflix goes on to claim that Barlow and Bear explicitly used the Bridgerton<\/em> brand during its show, and \u201cattracted Bridgerton fans who would have otherwise attended the Bridgerton Experience,\u201d Netflix\u2019s own Bridgerton<\/em>-themed event that it holds in six separate cities throughout the year. Barlow and Bear currently have plans to perform alongside the BBC Orchestra at the UK\u2019s Royal Albert Hall this September.<\/p>\n

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