{"id":4077,"date":"2025-02-07T22:25:51","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T22:25:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/nick-cannons-new-show-copies-mtvs-wild-n-out-lawsuit-says\/"},"modified":"2025-02-07T22:25:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T22:25:51","slug":"nick-cannons-new-show-copies-mtvs-wild-n-out-lawsuit-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/nick-cannons-new-show-copies-mtvs-wild-n-out-lawsuit-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Cannon’s New Show Copies MTV’s ‘Wild \u2019N Out,’ Lawsuit Says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\tMTV owner Viacom has filed a lawsuit claiming that Nick Cannon\u2019s new comedy battle rap game show \u2014 called Bad vs. Wild<\/em> \u2014 is a \u201cflagrant\u201d copycat of his long-running series Wild \u2019N Out.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\tIn a case filed Monday (Feb. 7) against the streaming service Zeus Network, the cable giant claimed that the new show \u201cgoes far beyond mere imitation\u201d and instead steals \u201ceach and every\u201d element of Wild \u2019N Out<\/em>, a popular hip-hop comedy show that\u2019s aired for more than 20 seasons on MTV and VH1.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe lawsuit doesn\u2019t name Cannon as a defendant but instead accuses Zeus of essentially poaching him. It says the new show is \u201ccosplaying\u201d as a Wild \u2018N Out<\/em> \u201csuccessor,\u201d profiting from Viacom\u2019s years-long investment \u201cwithout having to do the work of creating original content itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIn an era where original content is at a premium, Zeus has chosen the path of least resistance: stealing the fruits of Viacom\u2019s goodwill and decades of labor and innovation, and pawning it off as its own original idea for its own financial gain,\u201d Viacom\u2019s lawyers wrote.<\/p>\n

\n\tWorse yet, the lawsuit says, episodes of Bad vs. Wild<\/em> (which debuted in March) have repeatedly featured \u201coffensive and inappropriate content that glorifies violence, objectifies women, and perpetuates insidious stereotypes,\u201d threatening to tarnish the legacy of Wild \u2018N Out<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe potential damage to Viacom and Wild \u2018N Out<\/em> cannot be overstated,\u201d the company\u2019s lawyers continued. \u201cThis blatant copying and association with offensive content threaten to erode two decades of Viacom\u2019s carefully built reputation and goodwill. It is an attack not just on Viacom\u2019s intellectual property, but on its very brand identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe lawsuit accuses Zeus of infringing both Viacom\u2019s copyrights to the show and also its trademarks, saying that consumers have been duped into thinking the two shows are somehow connected. The filing cites a press release that explicitly referred to the show as \u201cWild \u2018N Out<\/em> on steroids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWild \u2019N Out<\/em>, which debuted on MTV in 2005, features teams of comedy and hip-hop stars battling in a series of competitions, capped off by a freestyle battle and then a musical performance. Over the years \u2014 the show has run for 21 seasons \u2014 it has boasted guests including Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky and Lil Wayne.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn this week\u2019s lawsuit, Viacom claimed that Zeus had stolen almost all of the show\u2019s core elements when it created Bad v. Wild.<\/em> The two names are \u201cextremely similar\u201d; the new logo \u201ccopies the look, typeface, and arrangement\u201d; the format and stage design of the two shows are \u201cnearly identical\u201d; and, of course, they feature the same host.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cZeus enlists Mr. Cannon as host of a show that maliciously infringes upon the intellectual property of Wild \u2018N Out<\/em> \u2026 and has tainted Mr. Cannon\u2019s image as on-camera talent for Wild \u2018N Out<\/em>,\u201d Viacom\u2019s lawyers wrote.<\/p>\n

\n\tThough it doesn\u2019t name him as defendant, the lawsuit does accuse Cannon of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

\n\tViacom\u2019s lawyers say he\u2019s currently subject to his contract from Wild<\/em>, which prohibits him from doing anything that that would \u201ctarnish\u201d his image as the show\u2019s host and bans him from using \u201cany characters or materials\u201d from the show in other projects. By producing and hosting Bad v. Wild<\/em><\/em>, the lawsuit says Cannon has violated that agreement.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut rather than sue Cannon directly for that alleged breach of contract, the lawsuit instead pins the legal blame entirely on Zeus \u2014 accusing the network of \u201cintentional interference\u201d with Viacom\u2019s deal with Cannon by \u201cinducing\u201d him to break it. And the company claims it\u2019s not the first time.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cZeus \u2014 having previously violated exclusivity provisions when working with Viacom talent, and having knowledge of industry custom and practice \u2014 was aware that Mr. Cannon is under contract,\u201d the company\u2019s lawyers wrote. \u201cThe damage caused by Zeus\u2019s interference with Mr. Cannon\u2019s contract is magnified by the wave of negative publicity which emanated from Zeus\u2019s unoriginal content and colorist and sizeist stereotyping.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tReps for both Zeus and Cannon did not immediately return requests for comment.<\/p>\n

\n\tRead the entire complaint here:<\/strong><\/p>\n