It’s been two years since Seth MacFarlane’s Ted hit the screen and his latest A Million Ways to Die in the West has been and gone, but it looks like the writer and director – along with Universal Pictures and Media Rights Capital – are being sued for copyright infringement.
The suit was filed by Bengal Mangle Productions who claim that the foul-mouthed bear is an unlawful copy of their Acting School Academy web series character Charlie the Abusive Teddy Bear. The series first aired on YouTube in 2010.
A segment from the suit reads: “Both Charlie and Ted reside in a substantially similar environment, including that both Charlie and Ted spend a significant amount of time sitting on a living room couch with a beer and/or cigarette in hand. Charlie and Ted each have a substantially similar persona, verbal tone, verbal delivery, dialogue, and attitude.”
Ted was released in 2012 and grossed over $550 million worldwide. A sequel is currently in production.
The suit also claims that scenes from Ted where taken from their series, including asking Norah Jones about her sex life and making “fat jokes” while his life is in danger.
Here’s an episode of the web series, loaded four years ago.
Do we think they have a chance?
Originally published July 16, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
