A Manhattan District judge has concluded that Jerry Seinfeld did not steal the idea for his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee show.
In early 2018, producer Christian Charles claimed that he pitched the idea of a show dubbed ‘Two Stupid Guys in a Stupid Car Driving to a Stupid Town’ to Seinfeld in 2002, but the U.S. comedian wasn’t a fan. Charles asserted that Seinfeld changed his mind in 2011 and got in contact with him to further develop the idea. Shortly after, a pilot was filmed and directed by Charles.
Speaking in court, Manhattan District judge Alison Nathan threw out the lawsuit saying Charles had taken too long to sue and that the statute of limitations was three years. The BBC reports that the lawsuit was filed six years after Seinfeld rejected his copyright claim back in 2012.
Also Watch: New Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee Previewed With Huracan, Carrera GT, And More
“Today’s victory is a complete vindication,” Seinfeld’s lawyer Orin Snyder said. “Jerry created Comedians in Cars and this lawsuit was nothing but a money-grab seeking to capitalize on the success of the show. We are pleased that the court saw through the noise.”
“Charles believed that ‘Seinfeld would eventually acknowledge Charles’ authorship and ownership and bring him in,” Judge Nathan added. “Because Charles was on notice that his ownership claim had been repudiated since at least 2012, his infringement claim is time-barred.”
The fourth season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee launched on Netflix on July 19. It features the likes of Ricky Gervais and Eddie Murphy and vehicles such as a Rolls-Royce Dawn and a Dodge Monaco police car.