Netflix Sued By 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Publishers Over Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (polygon.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Polygon: Netflix's first interactive movie, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch makes no bones about its Choose Your Own Adventure inspiration, and that's reportedly caught the eye of the series' original publisher. Chooseco, a publishing company specializing in children's books, is suing Netflix for infringing on the company's "Choose Your Own Adventure" trademark. According to the official complaint, Netflix has been in negotiations with Chooseco over a license for the series since 2016, but Chooseco says Netflix never actually gained permission to use it. After the release of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch late last month, Chooseco has filed a complaint against Netflix for $25 million in damages, as the company says that Netflix's new movie benefits from association with the Choose Your Own Adventure series, without the company ever receiving the trademark. Chooseco says it sent a cease-and-desist request to Netflix at least once over the Choose Your Own Adventure trademark in the past. Netflix has declined to comment on the complaint.

Comments

*Judge reading filing*

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm, should I turn to page 93 to side with the plaintiff, or page 134 to side with the defendant....

Re:*Judge reading filing*

[Scarletdown]

Oops. You were going to turn to page 134 to side with the defendant, but you accidentally looked at page 135. You have fallen into a pit, impaled yourself on a spike trap, and got your corpse butt raped by the super horny dragon that set the trap.

Your adventure has ended. Best to go with cremation or closed casket, laddie. It is not a pretty sight.

It never dawned on me

[Arzaboa]

I never thought that choose your own adventure books were actually related to this episode in any way other than an idea. I didn't once associate Chooseco with this Netflix - Black Mirror episode.

Even if I had associated them, is it an issue to come up with a story that has something to do with the writers childhood? Are we not supposed to write about the action figures we used to play with too?

--
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened - Dr. Seuss

     

Re:If it's a Netflix original...

[alvinrod]

It really isn't. It was originally a British show (it ran on Channel 4) that Netflix picked up after the first two series. I haven't gotten around to watching the more recent episodes yet, but the originals were pretty good. If I had to describe it succinctly, "Modern Twilight Zone" seems to do a good job.

Of course it's modern TV so they can get away with a bit more. The first episode featured a plot where some British royal family member has apparently been kidnapped and the kidnappers are threatening to kill the person unless the Prime Minister fucks a pig on live television. That might sound crude (and it is) but it's just as engrossing as it is gross. I'd suggest giving it a try.

Re:Depends

[F.Ultra]

If you read the actual lawsuit filing that is linked from TFS one can see that Chooseco isn't claiming that Netflix said that they where inspired, they claim that people will believe that the Bandersnatch book from the movie is an actual CYOA book from Chooseco and that will scare people away from their brand since the book in the movie is dark and disturbing.

Extra hilarious are these two claims:

35. Netflix has benefitted from its association with Chooseco's iconic brand. Bandersnatch has been discussed widely in the press and many reviews of the movie include the phrase or even reference the book series.
36. The association between Bandersnatch and Choose Your Own Adventure has been widely discussed on social media. That discussion demonstrates the dilution of the brand.

So basically, Netflix didn't say that their movie is a CYOA movie but reviewers and people on social media does and therefore we want money from Netflix...