LOS ANGELES – Two Spanish companies allege a television show in NBC's fall lineup infringes one of its shows.
Onza Partners SL and Onza Entertainment SL filed a complaint on Sept. 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Sony Pictures Television Inc.; Eric Kripke; Kripke Enterprises; NBCUniversal Media LLC; Shawn Ryan, an individual doing business as Middkid Productions; John Davis; Davis Entertainment Co.; and Does 1-100 citing copyright infringement and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs are the authors of a show called "El Ministerio del Tiempo," or "The Department of Time," which was registered with the Spanish Copyright Office in 2012 and broadcast in Spain in 2015. The plaintiffs met with a third-party to develop an American version of the show, the suit states. In 2015 it was announced that Sony, Kripke and Ryan would produce a show called "Time," now called "Timeless," and shortly afterward Sony allegedly terminated negotiations with the plaintiffs for the show. The plaintiffs claim "Timeless" infringes their property.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek all damages, compensatory damages and profits, injunctive relief, all legal fees and any other relief as this court deems just. They are represented by Devin A. McRae and Michael Smarinsky of Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP in Los Angeles.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case number 2:16-cv-07269-SVW-FFM