{"id":579312,"date":"2023-06-19T22:24:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T19:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/judge-backs-ae-in-live-pd-copyright-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2023-06-19T22:24:54","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T19:24:54","slug":"judge-backs-ae-in-live-pd-copyright-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/judge-backs-ae-in-live-pd-copyright-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"#Judge Backs A&E in \u2018Live PD\u2019 Copyright Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n A federal judge has ruled that A&E\u2019s copyright infringement lawsuit against Reelz and the producers of its biggest show, On Patrol: Live<\/em>, can move forward.<\/p>\n

\n In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla denied a motion to dismiss the case from defendants Big Fish Entertainment, Half Moon Pictures and ReelzChannel \u2014\u00a0which produce and air On Patrol: Live<\/em>. A&E filed a copyright infringement suit in August 2022, alleging that the Reelz show is a clone of its former show Live PD<\/em>, down to the arrangement of the hosts\u2019 desks and boilerplate text shown at the beginning of episodes.<\/p>\n

\n Live PD<\/em> was A&E\u2019s highest-rated program for several years before it was canceled in June 2020 amid nationwide protests against police brutality, sparked by the murder of George Floyd. <\/p>\n

\n The lawsuit came about a month after On Patrol: Live<\/em> premiered on Reelz and instantly became the channel\u2019s most-watched show. A&E cited in its complaint a June 2022 tweet from host and executive producer Dan Abrams that reads \u201cLive PD<\/em> is coming back,\u201d while Reelz touted in a press release that it was adding the \u201c#1 TV Show to our programs lineup\u201d with \u201call new live episodes.\u201d The series<\/a> was even initially titled PD Live<\/em> before A&E sent a cease-and-desist letter, after which it was renamed On Patrol: Live<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n Failla wrote in her ruling that while individual elements of a show like Live PD<\/em>, including live footage from law enforcement and analysis from in-studio hosts, aren\u2019t eligible for copyright protection, \u201cthe particular selection and arrangement of the elements as a whole \u2014 namely, the mix of live police footage and in-studio commentary; the black screen displaying a message regarding a suspect\u2019s innocence in white text each time the show begins or returns from a break; the red and blue lights to mirror police cars; the use of hosts Dan Abrams and Sgt. [Sean] Larkin, sitting around virtually identical tables with virtually identical mugs; the sequencing of the \u2018Missing\u2019 and \u2018Crime of the Week\u2019 segments and the guest on the \u2018Missing\u2019 segment; the positioning of the hosts; the specific and consistent camera angles used; and the following of specific police departments across weeks \u2014 considered together, are <\/em>sufficiently creative to state a cognizable copyright claim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n The ruling states A&E can now pursue discovery on its claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement and unfair competition and directs the defendants to file an answer to the complaint by July 7.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n