Family of a teacher are suing popular American TV Network CBS, after they reportedly used a poem she wrote in the 30s in their show, The Big Bang Theory.
The uproar started when the daughters of a teacher, Mrs Newlin, claimed that the CBS show, The Big Bang Theory had been using a poem written by their mum.
Edith Newlin’s daughters sued CBS and other companies on the basis that they didn’t buy the rights of the poem, which was written in the 1930s.
The poem is used in the hit sitcom to comfort one of the main characters, Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons.
Mrs Newlin reportedly died in 2004 and since 2008 the producers have used her poem, written about a ‘soft kitty’, throughout the well-known series.
The lawsuit states that in 2007, Warner Bros.
In a recent article, ABC News reports that the lawsuit says that “the Soft Kitty lyrics are among the best-known and most popular aspects of ‘The Big Bang Theory.” They also state that the lawsuit says at three or more Comic-Con conventions, producers and actors from the show have led large audiences in singing the lyrics.
Entertainment and producers of the show were given permission to use the poem from Willis Music Co. Willis Music Co. had originally published the poem in a book called Songs for the Nursery School.
However, the confusion stems from the fact that the company allowed the use of the poems before consulting Mrs Newlin’s family.
The published book states very clearly, that Mrs Newlin owned copyright of the printed lyrics.
When contacted, CBS chose to not comment.
