Big Brother v. Glass House: The Saga Continues…

ABC is not taking the threats from CBS over their upcoming show ‘Glass House’ lying down. ABC, in response to the eye network claims it’s new reality show is NOT stealing any trade secrets from ‘Big Brother’ stating that nothing about ‘Big Brother’ is a secret.

ABC’s responses is official, filed in the court in response to CBS’ lawsuit, asking the judge to throw out the absurd and “over-the-top” lawsuit immediately. According to court documents, ABC calls the stealing of Big Brother “outrageous” because “there is nothing secret about editing a program with multiple feeds together or developing a narrative structure for it. That is reality TV.” They go on to say that using hidden cameras, having contestants in isolation etc. is not new and should not be considered a “trade secret” as CBS is claiming.

ABC made note in the court filing that there are many differences between the two shows. For one, ‘Glass House’ will be a team oriented game rather than a single individual game. They also say the reason so many old Big Brother employees came on board with ‘Glass House’ leaving CBS and Big Brother behind is that it is “common knowledge in the industry that low pay and the 24 hours a day/7 days a week filming schedule makes life on the Big Brother set difficult,” going on to say that “employees prefer a different show with benefits and better hours is hardly evidence of a trade secret violation.”

ABC is asking the judge to deny all demands and accusations filed from CBS so it can begin production on it’s show. No ruling has yet been made.

Who do you believe? Is ‘Glass House’ just a rip off of ‘Big Brother’ or is CBS just trying to quell any competition? Will you be watching?

CBS Lawyers Threaten ABC Over New Big Brotheresqe Show ‘Glass House’

Update: CBS has followed through on their bluff. Reports have surfaced of CBS taking it one step further with their threat on ABC’s Glass House and suing the network for their alleged Big Brother rip-off. CBS reportedly wants a judge to put an end to production on the ABC summer reality TV show, after ABC refused to back down to CBS’s cease and desist letter found below. Noted in the suit filed earlier today, “If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” the suit begins, “then CBS should take pride in ABC’s latest reality TV project. Glass House, which remarkably employs at least 19 former producers and staff from CBS’ hit reality TV series Big Brother, is a carbon copy of Big Brother and an obvious attempt by Defendants to capitalize on its unique success. CBS therefore brings this action to halt and recover its damages from Defendants’ ongoing infringement of its rights in Big Brother.” It went on to say that Glass House “replicates every key aspect of Big Brother, including, among other things, its plot, themes, mood, setting, pace, characters, sequence of events, and other concrete elements.”

Read the full lawsuit thanks to The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, CBS lawyers are threatening ABC over a recently announced reality show called Life in a Glass House, which CBS is alleging is a rip off of their long time running Reality Show Big Brother, currently going into it’s 14th season this summer.

CBS Executives sent a cease-and-desist letter today to ABC executives Anne Sweeney and Alan Braverman. According to CBS lawyer Scott Edelman of the Gibson Dunn firm, Glass House is “strikingly” similar to Big Brother. “In the strongest possible terms, we must admonish ABC and anyone involved in the development or production of Glass House that they will be acting at their own peril if they continue to proceed in this manner,” Edelman writes, “and that CBS has instructed us to pursue all available remedies if this course of conduct continues.”

Read the Letter Here (Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter)

According to THR, “CBS also claims that the new ABC series is being produced by Big Brother veterans who might reveal private information about the inner workings of the show. Specifically, ABC alternative development executive Corie Henson is a Big Brother alum, and both Kenny Rosen and Mike O’Sullivan worked on the show. Those individuals also received similar cease and desist letters.”

“Even worse, CBS is informed that Glass House is being produced by a team of at least 18 former members of CBS’ Big Brother production staff — all of whom were privy to trade secrets and other confidential, proprietary information and signed broad and binding non-disclosure agreements in connection with Big Brother,” the letter reads.

The Hollywood Reporter has contacted ABC for comment but has not yet heard back. We will update you if they get a response.

What do you think? Too much like Big Brother? Will CBS win this one? Leave us a comment below!