Judge to dismiss Carol Burnett's 'Family Guy' lawsuit


Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge said he will dismiss Carol Burnett's $2 million copyright infringement lawsuit over the use of her cleaning woman character in the animated series Family Guy.

U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson said in a written tentative ruling Friday that he planned to dismiss the lawsuit against 20th Century Fox. He will issue a final ruling later.

The 74-year-old comedian sued the studio in March, contending that the Fox show didn't have her permission to include her Charwoman character in an April 2006 episode.

The episode portrayed the character as a cleaning woman in a sex shop and also used a version of the theme music to her old TV series without permission, the lawsuit claimed.

At the time, the studio said it was surprised by the lawsuit over what amounted to about an 18-second scene.

A call to 20th Century Fox Television spokesman Chris Alexander on Friday was not immediately returned.

Burnett's attorney, Robert Denton, could not immediately be reached for comment.

ummm because it is a charecter she invented and they should of asked her. The charwoman was always sort of a sad scene not a funny haha skit at all.

Family Guy is a stupid show anyway, tasteless humor.

She made HER fortune making fun of others on HER show. And then got pissed when someone did it to her?

I don't really care who wins or have an opinion on if it was really illegal, but it bothered me a little to see the whole "the studio said it was surprised by the lawsuit over what amounted to about an 18-second scene". So copyright violation would be okay with them if it was under 20 seconds but hit that 21 second mark and that's just crossing the line, or what? What a stupid comment to make. LMAO. Either it is a violation or it isn't, how LONG it was a violation for shouldn't matter.

I don't really care who wins or have an opinion on if it was really illegal, but it bothered me a little to see the whole "the studio said it was surprised by the lawsuit over what amounted to about an 18-second scene". So copyright violation would be okay with them if it was under 20 seconds but hit that 21 second mark and that's just crossing the line, or what? What a stupid comment to make. LMAO. Either it is a violation or it isn't, how LONG it was a violation for shouldn't matter.

:lol so true

I think its a stupid lawsuit, she must be running out of money. I love family guy!

I think its a stupid lawsuit, she must be running out of money. I love family guy!

She made HER fortune making fun of others on HER show. And then got pissed when someone did it to her?

i agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I think the whole show is tacky.

So I don't give a toss.

She made HER fortune making fun of others on HER show. And then got pissed when someone did it to her?

I was thinking that....I'm going to err on the side of maturity and say maybe she just wanted someone to ask her permission....hopefully its really not about money.