A federal judge has ruled that part of MTV’s lawsuit against Zeus Network over Bad vs. Wild can move forward.
Viacom claims that the Zeus series copies MTV’s long-running hit Wild ‘N Out, which has been hosted by Nick Cannon since 2005.
MTV’s parent company argued that Bad vs. Wild borrowed “each and every” aspect of Wild ’N Out, from the format to the title and visual style, and accuses Zeus of “cosplaying” as a continuation of the original show.
In a ruling issued Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed MTV’s copyright claims, saying similarities between the two series were not enough to prove the newer show illegally copied the original.
“Many reality shows … would be liable for copyright infringement,” the judge wrote. He added that accepting MTV’s argument could make it “much more difficult” to create new TV shows. Still, the judge refused to throw out MTV’s trademark claims, saying the title and branding of Bad vs. Wild may be similar enough to confuse viewers.
“While it will have to make a greater showing at summary judgment, Viacom has met its burden at this stage,” the judge wrote.
Cannon is not named as a defendant in the case and has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Wild ’N Out has aired for more than 20 seasons and has featured stars including Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne.