Netflix is suing Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical for copyright infringement, as first reported by Deadline. The streaming giant filed a complaint in a Washington, DC district court just days after Barlow and Bear held a sold-out live show dedicated to their Bridgerton-inspired album.
Following Bridgerton’s debut in 2020, Barlow and Bear began making music based on Netflix original series and promoting the effort on TikTok, where it quickly gained popularity. As fans demanded more content, Barlow and Bear soon had enough to make a 15-song album that went on to win a Grammy in April, a first for music coming from TikTok. On July 26, Barlow and Bear held a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, featuring live performances and music from the National Symphony Orchestra.
In its complaint obtained by Deadline, Netflix alleged that Barlow and Bear’s content was “beyond ‘fan fiction’ past breaking point” and that it was a “blatant violation of intellectual property rights.” Despite praising Barlow and Bear’s work itself, Netflix claimed to have repeatedly informed the couple that Bridgerton-inspired compositions were “not allowed.”
Netflix alleged that Bridgerton’s unofficial live shows were also not approved by the company, and that Barlow and Bear “refused” to negotiate a license that would allow them to distribute their albums and hold live shows without issue.
“Barlo & Bear does not have any license, approval or authorization to exploit Bridgerton’s intellectual property in connection with the Kennedy Center show,” Netflix said. “And as far as Barlow & Bear once claimed to believe they had such a license, approval, or authorization — despite Netflix’s clear statement to the contrary — has now been expressly revoked.”
Netflix went on to claim that Barlow and Bear explicitly used the Bridgerton brand during its shows, and “attracted Bridgerton fans who were supposed to attend the Bridgerton Experience,” Netflix’s own Bridgerton-themed show held in six separate cities throughout the year. Barlow and Bear currently have plans to perform with the BBC Orchestra at England’s Royal Albert Hall this September.
“Netflix supports fan-generated content, but Barlow & Bears have taken it many steps further, seeking to create multiple revenue streams for themselves without official permission to leverage Bridgerton IP [intellectual property],” Netflix said in a statement. “We have gone to great lengths to work with Barlow & Bears, and they refuse to cooperate. The creators, cast, writers and crew have poured their heart and soul into Bridgerton, and we are taking action to protect their rights.”
Julia Quinn, the author behind the Bridgerton book series, said she was “flattered and thrilled” when Barlow and Bear started making TikToks based on the original concept. “However, there is a difference between writing on TikTok and recording and performing for commercial gain,” said Quinn. “I hope Barlow & Bear, who shares my position as an independent creative professional, understands the need to protect the intellectual property of other professionals, including the characters and stories I created in Bridgerton’s novels more than twenty years ago.”
Shonda Rhimes, producer of Netflix’s Bridgerton series, issued a separate statement. “What started as a happy celebration by Barlow & The bear on social media has turned into a blatant intellectual property take solely for Barlow & Bear financial benefits,” added Rhimes. “Just like Barlow & Bear won’t allow others to take their IP for profit, Netflix can’t just sit back and let Barlow & Be patient to do the same with Bridgerton.”
Barlow and Bear did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
