Viacom International Inc. has sent Zeus Network a legal wake-up call, hitting the network with a lawsuit for allegedly stealing the blueprint of their hit MTV series Wild ‘N Out. Nick Cannon is also in the midst of this legal drama. Cannon helped build Wild ‘N Out into a cultural phenomenon.
According to legal docs filed in a Manhattan federal court, Viacom claims Zeus Network didn’t even try to be slick when creating Bad vs. Wild. They’re accusing the network of straight-up copying and pasting Wild ‘N Out’s signature format and slapping a new name on it. Viacom’s lawyer, George W. Kroup, didn’t trip over his words, saying:
“Zeus intentionally copied elements of Wild ‘N Out in developing Bad vs. Wild, knowing that those acts constituted infringements of Viacom’s copyrights.”
Viacom’s lawsuit lays out a list of too-close-for-comfort similarities between the two shows, including:
- The set design
- The show’s format
- Live audience interaction
- DJ-led scoring
- Celebrity guests
- Championship prizes
In other words, Viacom is basically saying Bad vs. Wild is nothing more than a bootleg version of their hit franchise. Viacom isn’t just coming for Zeus; they’re also calling out Nick Cannon for breaching his contract. According to them, Cannon isn’t even allowed to work on rival shows that compete with Wild ‘N Out.
Viacom also claims Zeus boldly promoted Bad vs. Wild as “Wild ‘N Out on steroids” and hired ex-Wild ‘N Out cast and crew to further blur the lines between the two shows.
They are also side-eyeing the explicit content on Bad vs. Wild, specifically an episode called “Lightskin vs. Darkskin”, which they say pushes harmful stereotypes and tarnishes Wild ‘N Out’s brand.
Viacom is not playing. They want:
- Financial damages (including extra for “willful” copyright infringement)
- A full shutdown of Bad vs. Wild
- All Zeus Network’s profits from the show
Zeus Network did respond to the lawsuit publicly claiming that Viacom was “pulling a drake” with Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ playing on the Instagram slide.
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