Endemol vs SBT – again

Only 12 months after Endemol International won its legal action against Brazilian network SBT over its Big Brother rip-off, the Dutch company is once again taking the network to court.

This time the format in the spotlight is studio quizzer Deal or No Deal, which local joint-venture Endemol Globo alleges the broadcaster has cloned with its Eu Compro o seu Televisor gameshow. The show launched on SBT in May.

Endemol Globo has since sought to get the show off air, unsuccessfully, claiming it is a copycat of its own gameshow, which first aired on Ned-2 in the Netherlands in December 2002. The format has since rolled into nine territories, namely Italy, Argentina, Australia, Holland, Germany, Spain, France, Turkey and Hungary. In the US, ABC has picked up the format.

Back in July 2003, the Big Brother producer won approximately €3m in damages after a Brazilian court ruled in favour of Endemol and Globo against rival network SBT’s show Casa dos Artistas. That action took 18 months to resolve.

Today’s news will underscore the image that Latin America is a trouble spot for protecting intellectual property rights. The Dutch outfit is also involved in two cases of alleged format theft concerning Operacion Triunfo – one with Venezuelan network RCTV and its Fama y Applausos, the other with Mexican station TV Azteca and its own La Academia.