Golden Girls Puppet Parody Leads to Lawsuit (2024 Copyright Laws)

What happens when a Golden Girls puppet parody leads to a lawsuit? Parody is protected by fair use in copyright, but other intellectual property laws come into play when the work is stolen.

Jonathan Rockefeller’s “That Golden Girls Show — A Puppet Parody” opened in New York in 2016, followed quickly by an infringement and defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit over the Golden Girls parody claims Rockefeller stole the show and denied royalties due to the co-creator and other producers.

This article covers the dispute surrounding the Golden Girls puppet show and explains what happens when a parody’s legal protections challenge broader copyright issues, like intellectual property (IP) theft.

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Golden Girls Controversy: Copyright Infringement

“The Golden Girls” was a popular sitcom that ran on NBC from 1985 to 1992. Beatrice Arthur and Betty White portrayed two of the four women sharing their iconic Miami home. The original TV version (not The Golden Girls parody) is protected by copyright law. Anyone selling bootleg copies of the show or hosting Golden Girls free online could be liable for copyright infringement, but parodies are protected.

“That Golden Girls Show — A Puppet Parody” opened off-Broadway in September 2016. In October of that same year, Australian playwright Thomas Duncan-Watt and producers of an earlier show sued Jonathan Rockefeller, creator of the Golden Girls parody, for copying a similar play performed in Australia and Canada called “Thank You for Being a Friend” after the show’s theme song.

The causes of action include defamation, fraud, breach of contract, and breach of a licensing agreement, and they are seeking $11 million in damages.

In the lawsuit, Duncan-Watt claims that Rockefeller convinced him to write a new version of the show but removed his name and denied him any royalties when the show went to New York. Producers of the original show said that the new script and format of the new show are “exactly the same” as the old one.

Intellectual Property Laws: Copyright And Parody

What laws protect parody? Parody is among the fair use exceptions to IP and copyright law protection. How do parodies avoid copyright? According to the U.S. Supreme Court, parody involves using elements of prior works to create a new one that comments on the original.

A review in The New York Times called the puppet show “a harmless homage that respects the beloved television series but also underscores its limitations.” However, Rockefeller is accused of repurposing a script from an earlier production based on the “Thank You for Being a Friend” sitcom.

This filing extends beyond parody laws into breach of contract, fraud, and IP theft. The outcome of this golden gals lawsuit will hinge on whether the show is deemed a fair use parody or an unauthorized derivative work.

Intellectual Property Theft vs. Copyright Infringement

Copyright infringement concerns the unauthorized use of registered works. Typically, damages stop the unauthorized use and recover any profits from the copying. For instance, money made from a Golden Girls torrent would be subject to infringement. Likewise, illegally streaming “The Golden Girls” online for free counts as infringement since it drives viewership away from paid services.

However, rather than just copying a work, IP theft is the misuse of someone’s intellectual creations. In this case, Rockefeller didn’t infringe on “The Golden Girls” scripts but on a parody script he penned with Duncan-Watt. He also re-used the parody without fairly compensating Duncan-Watt and other producers. The damages sought here push past standard copyright infringement and focus on restoring proper credit and licensing.

Learn More: When does the copyright statute of limitations begin to run?

How to Get Copyright Protection

What is required to get copyright protection? By law, you have copyright protection the moment you create the work, even if you don’t register your creation with the U.S. Copyright Office. But registering will extend your protections and help prove ownership if you’re ever caught up in a legal battle.

Getting copyright protection is easy. All you need is an original work and a tangible copy of it, such as video recordings of a dance or performance. The downside is that the application takes three to nine months to process. Here is the copyright registration process:

• Fill Out Application: Different works require different types of applications, which you can fill out online or send by mail.
• Pay Processing Fees: The U.S. Copyright Office lists $45-$65 online filing fees or $125 for paper filing, plus an additional fee for the type of copyright.
• Send Copies to Copyright Office: Send the required versions of your work to be copyrighted, including written, digital, and audio copies.

Copyright registration fees vary depending on the type of work you create. Get a list of copyright fees below. There may be additional costs for addendums, updates, and certain filing types on top of these fees.

Copyright protections last for the life of the creator plus an additional 70 years. So, if you register your copyright at 40 and live another 50 years, the copyright lasts for 120 years.

Different timelines apply if you publish works under a pseudonym or create works for hire. These copyright protections last 95 years from the first date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever is shorter.

Golden Girls Puppet Parody Leads to Lawsuit

Unauthorized uses, such as streaming episodes of “The Golden Girls” for free, remain clear-cut copyright violations, but this particular Golden Girls puppet parody leads to a lawsuit highlighting the intersection of copyright infringement, parody protection, and intellectual property rights.

What arguments defend a claim of copyright infringement? The fair use exception to copyright law protects parodies but not when a work is stolen and reappropriated under a new name.

The “That Golden Girls Show — A Puppet Parody” case focuses on the alleged misuse of Thomas Duncan-Watt’s work and royalties and stresses the value of registering works to strengthen ownership and copyright claims. Enter your ZIP code to speak with an IP attorney today about your claim.