It’s a tale worthy of an episode of Glee. Well, kinda. It’s not about Sue Sylvester trapping men in an elevator with the aid of a Jigsaw type puppet, so your mileage may vary.
The Hollywood Reporter reports (presumably from Hollywood) that the show choir that inspired Ryan Murphy‘s TV musical is being hit with a massive lawsuit. Burbank Show Choirs are being accused of blatant copyright infringement by Tresona Multimedia. A lawsuit filed in California federal court claims the choir hasn’t bothered to pay a penny for any of the music they use. Tresona argues that Burbank Show Choirs aren’t strapped for cash, either.
“The Burbank Show Choirs are some of the most prominent show choirs in the country,” states the complaint. “In fact, it is widely understood in the industry that the television show ‘Glee’ was based upon the Burbank Show Choirs, with input from Defendant Brett Carroll.”
Tresona claims that the school’s principal refused to purchase the licences in question. The company says they spoke with an assistant superintendent that was planning to rectify the matter, but “lawyered up” once the bill came.
So how much does Tresona Multimedia want for these alleged infractions? More than a night out at Breadstix in Lima, that’s for sure. The complaint states that Tresona is looking for statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringement. On top of that, compensatory and punitive damages are also part of the equation. If only there was a way to sort this out through song.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
