‘Stranger Things’ Lawsuit Dropped Ahead of Trial Date
May 5, 2019 – Media MentionCharlie Kessler has dropped his idea theft lawsuit against Matt and Ross Duffer on the eve of trial, acknowledging the brothers came up with the idea for the Netflix show “Stranger Things” on their own.
Kessler had alleged that the Duffer brothers stole his idea for the series after the trio got to talking at a reception for a 2014 screening of “Honeymoon” at the Tribeca Film Festival. Kessler said he pitched the brothers an idea for a project based on urban legends about a decommissioned military installation in Montauk, New York. He said he was stunned a year later when Netflix announced the Duffer brothers’ show, which contained similar themes and was originally titled “Montauk.”
“It would create a situation where any reputable director or producer should never go to cocktail parties,” argued Aaron Moss, a partner at Greenberg Glusker who specializes in intellectual property cases. “If the mere act of asking somebody ‘What are you working on?’ and saying ‘We ought to work together’ is going to give rise to an obligation to pay for whatever happens to come out of the person’s mouth, I think we’re all in trouble.”