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Working on The Big Bang Theory was a privilege for the cast, and the same held true for the extras. However, like lots of other shows and films, the sitcom faced multiple lawsuits behind the scenes.
We’ve seen countless silly lawsuits in Hollywood, this includes the film, The Help, which faced a lawsuit from a maid who claimed the film was based on her life.
As for these lawsuits, copying was once again the main talking point. We’ll take a look at how the song Soft Kitty caused problems behind the scenes, and how a Big Bang Theory employee filed a lawsuit following his termination.
According to the former assistant director, he was let go because of his age. Let’s dive in and find out what went down in both lawsuits.
It Wasn’t The First Time The Big Bang Theory Ran Into Lawsuit Troubles
Big Bang Theory was a major hit, however, off camera, there were a few dilemmas the show needed to deal with. One of them, was issued by Christopher Klausen. According to the assistant director, his role behind the scenes started to change once he turned 50.
The Hollywood Reporter discussed the details of his lawsuit.
“Christopher Klausen sued Warner Bros. Television in August, claiming he was ostracized by the sitcom’s stars and crews after his 50th birthday and eventually terminated because of his age.”
THR continued, “Klausen worked on the show for seven years and says during his final few seasons his duties were slowly reassigned to younger and less experienced employees.”
The lawsuit was issued back in 2016, three years prior to show coming to an end. Ultimately, both sides kept quiet on the matter, and it seems like issue was dealt with outside of court.
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However, a more complicated lawsuit would take place for the show involving Soft Kitty. It took two years for the matter to finally get resolved.
Margaret Perry And Ellen Chase Filed A Lawsuit Against The Big Bang Theory For Copyrighting Their Mother’s Poem
Edith Newlin was the poet behind Soft Kitty, which was released back in the 1930s. Well, daughters Margaret Perry and Ellen Chase wanted some compensation for the song. They wrote in the lawsuit statement, “The Soft Kitty lyrics have played a prominent role in the development and portrayal of one of the central characters in the program.”
Although Warner Bros refused to make a statement, Willis Music did decide to speak out on the matter. According to the group, the rights to the song were obtained legally by the television show and Warner Bros.
Kevin Cranley, the owner of Willis Music spoke alongside Deadline, and how the rights were obtained legally.
“It is a hardbound book of over 150 songs for children. The book was written by Laura Pendleton MacCarteney. In that book on page 27 is Warm Kitty. Warner Brothers and I worked together to secure the rights for the show The Big Bang Theory and they have been using the song ever since.”
Ultimately, proof and contracts were the biggest part of the court case and that’s the major reason as to why Margaret Perry and Ellen Chase were not successful with the lawsuit.
The Lawsuit Was Dropped When It Was Revealed That The Big Bang Theory Obtained The Rights Legally
When the final verdict came in, it was said that there wasn’t enough proof to support that the song was actually copyrighted. Reuters writes, “U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan said the plaintiffs, Ellen Newlin Chase and Margaret Chase Perry, failed to show they held a copyright on their mother’s lyrics, and deserved damages.”
The statement continues, “But the judge said that, under a federal copyright provision that was “hardly a model of clarity,” Willis Music’s renewal in 1964 of its registration for “Songs for the Nursery School” did not also renew Newlin’s copyright for “Warm Kitty.”
There weren’t any further comments following the verdict. This was a big win for The Big Bang Theory, as the show also had lots of merchandise issued around Soft Kitty. Had the verdict gone the other way, it could have made things very messy for the show, likely resulting in a big loss.
