View Full Version : Judge to Dismiss Carol Burnett's Lawsuit


Brian Damage
05-26-2007, 03:52 PM
LOS ANGELES -- A federal judge said he will dismiss Carol Burnett's $2 million copyright infringement lawsuit over the use of her cleaning woman character in the animated series "Family Guy."

U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson said in a written tentative ruling Friday that he planned to dismiss the lawsuit against 20th Century Fox. He will issue a final ruling later.

The 74-year-old comedian sued the studio in March, contending that the Fox show didn't have her permission to include her Charwoman character in an April 2006 episode.

The episode portrayed the character as a cleaning woman in a sex shop and also used a version of the theme music to her old TV series without permission, the lawsuit claimed.

At the time, the studio said it was surprised by the lawsuit over what amounted to about an 18-second scene.

A call to 20th Century Fox Television spokesman Chris Alexander on Friday was not immediately returned.

Burnett's attorney, Robert Denton, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ireneparalegal
05-26-2007, 04:16 PM
Ooooo, I would love to read the judge's ruling.

It was ludicrous of her to do that.

Scoobiedoo30
06-02-2007, 03:08 PM
I would love to also read The Judge Rulling

Dr. Thong
06-02-2007, 09:32 PM
I'm glad the judge is dismissing the lawsuit. If Burnett had won, it would set a dangerous precedent for parodies & satires. If Burnett didn't want to be parodied, she shouldn't have become a public figure in the first place.