Netflix Settles Copyright Lawsuit With the Bridgerton Musical Creators

Update 9/27/22: Netflix settled the copyright lawsuit it filed against The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical creators Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow. The streamer filed the dismissal "with prejudice," which means it cannot be refiled.

Original 8/1/22: For the Bridgertons, entering Queen Charlotte's palace may be a major moment, but Netflix is headed to a very different kind of court in a new lawsuit against the creators of the unofficial Bridgerton musical.

Originally created over social media by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the album for The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical became a sensation with fans, topping the iTunes charts and taking home a Grammy this year for Best Musical Theater Album.

"Defendants Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear and their companies (“Barlow & Bear”) have taken valuable intellectual property from the Netflix original series Bridgerton to build an international brand for themselves," the lawsuit states, adding that, "Netflix owns the exclusive right to create Bridgerton songs, musicals, or any other derivative works based on Bridgerton."

The lawsuit comes on the heels of a live, sold-out concert of the album at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, which according to Deadline, sold tickets for up to $149 each, as well as VIP packages. The lawsuit alleges that, "Throughout the performance, Barlow & Bear misrepresented to the audience that they were using Netflix’s BRIDGERTON trademark 'with Permission'," and that the duo plans to develop merchandise around the property for a tour.

In a statement about the lawsuit, Netflix said that the service, "Supports fan-generated content, but Barlow & Bear have taken this many steps further, seeking to create multiple revenue streams for themselves without formal permission to utilize the Bridgerton IP. We’ve tried hard to work with Barlow & Bear, and they have refused to cooperate. The creators, cast, writers and crew have poured their hearts and souls into Bridgerton, and we’re taking action to protect their rights.”

Shonda Rhimes, who developed the show for Netflix, and Julia Quinn, author of the original books on which the show is based, have also issued statements.

"There is so much joy in seeing audiences fall in love with Bridgerton and watching the creative ways they express their fandom. What started as a fun celebration by Barlow & Bear on social media has turned into the blatant taking of intellectual property solely for Barlow & Bear’s financial benefit," Rhimes said. "This property was created by Julia Quinn and brought to life on screen through the hard work of countless individuals. Just as Barlow & Bear would not allow others to appropriate their IP for profit, Netflix cannot stand by and allow Barlow & Bear to do the same with Bridgerton."

Quinn echoed the sentiment, saying, "Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear are wildly talented, and I was flattered and delighted when they began composing Bridgerton songs and sharing with other fans on TikTok. There is a difference, however, between composing on TikTok and recording and performing for commercial gain. I would hope that Barlow & Bear, who share my position as independent creative professionals, understand the need to protect other professionals’ intellectual property, including the characters and stories I created in the Bridgerton novels over twenty years ago."

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