Netflix Sues Duo Who Turned Popular Bridgerton TikToks Into a Musical
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, except when it comes to Netflix intellectual property.
The streaming giant has sued(Opens in a new window) the creators of an unofficial musical that's based on its hit series Bridgerton for "willful copyright and trademark infringement," Deadline reports(Opens in a new window).
Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear turned a popular series of TikTok videos into a stage show that debuted(Opens in a new window) to a sold-out audience at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. last month, where tickets went for $149 and up. Another performance(Opens in a new window) of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert is planned for Sept. 20 at the UK’s Royal Albert Hall, and an album version of the show recently won a Grammy(Opens in a new window).
At the TikTok stage, Netflix did not crack down on Barlow and Bear’s tribute to the series. It even applauded the musical re-enactment on Twitter(Opens in a new window).
In its lawsuit, Netflix claims that counsel for Barlow and Bear sought Netflix’s blessing to create the full album and perform a single UK show in July or August 2021 that would include some of the songs for a charity event. In its lawsuit, Netflix says it did not approve or authorize the performance, but would not stand in the way given that the show was for charity.
When the recorded album was going to launch on Spotify, Netflix says it insisted that it “did not want them to engage in any live performances (e.g., performances of 'The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical') or other derivative works that might compete with Netflix’s own planned live events." Netflix made an exception for the charity event, which had been rescheduled for a later date.
After the album won a
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