Endemol takes Brazilian network to court

Endemol Entertainment, format creator of Big Brother, is tomorrow taking Brazilian network SBT back to court for allegedly copying its Celebrity Big Brother format.

Endemol initially filed against SBT mid-last week, won the case the same day, and SBT took its show off the air. SBT, however, then appealed the ruling, won, and put its show back on air.

Endemol is now taking the Brazilian broadcaster to a higher court with the hope of settling the case once and for all. The original Big Brother format has not reached screens in Brazil yet, although Endemol has licensed it to SBT rival Globo TV, which plans to air it in the first half of 2002.

A spokesman said: {SBT didn’t dare to rip-off the real Big Brother so it copied a spin-off. It’s a clear copy of our format so if Brazilian law is mature we should easily win the case.{