Carol Burnett Sues FOX’s Family Guy

LOS ANGELES, March 19: According to a Reuters report,
comedian Carol Burnett has filed a copyright infringement suit against the FOX
animated sitcom Family Guy for poking
fun at her and her series The Carol Burnett Show, which ran on CBS from 1967 to 1978.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles at the end of last week,
maintains that Family Guy violated the
comedian’s exclusive rights to her name and likeness. The episode, broadcast
last April, featured a depiction of Burnett’s signature cleaning-lady character
without her consent. The suit also alleges that the episode used a “slightly
altered version” of the theme to The Carol Burnett Show, also without consent. She is seeking $2 million in
damages.

In a statement cited by Reuters, 20th Century Fox Television
responded noting: "Family Guy, like
The Carol Burnett Show, is famous
for its pop culture parodies and satirical jabs at celebrities. We are
surprised that Ms. Burnett, who has made a career of spoofing others on
television, would go so far as to sue Family Guy for a simple bit of comedy."