Former Representative George Santos has filed a lawsuit against late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, accusing him of copyright infringement and deception. Santos claims that Kimmel deceived him into creating personalized videos on the celebrity video message platform Cameo, only to later broadcast them on national television and social media without permission.
The civil lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Kimmel and his team openly admitted to deceiving Santos under the pretense of being fans. They solicited personalized videos from Santos and then used them for commercial gain, which violates the original agreement and constitutes copyright infringement.
In addition to Kimmel, ABC (the network that produces his show) and its parent company Disney are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. CNN has reached out to representatives for Kimmel, ABC, and Disney for comment.
The incident occurred shortly after Santos was expelled from the House. He joined Cameo, where he is paid to record personalized video greetings. According to the lawsuit, Kimmel requested fourteen Cameo videos from Santos using fake names and profiles in December.
The lawsuit claims that Kimmel misrepresented himself and his motives to induce Santos into creating the personalized videos. It alleges that Kimmel intentionally deceived Santos and capitalized on his gregarious personality for comedic purposes. Kimmel even joked about the possibility of being sued by Santos for fraud, claiming it would be a “dream come true.”
The licensing agreement for the Cameo videos explicitly prohibits broadcasting them on national television. However, Kimmel’s team aired some of the videos on his show and later published them on social media platforms, according to the lawsuit.
Santos is seeking a jury trial and is requesting at least $150,000 in statutory damages for each infringement, along with other unspecified damages to be determined at trial. He is also seeking injunctions to prevent the defendants from further infringing on his copyrights.
This legal battle between George Santos and Jimmy Kimmel has brought attention to the issue of copyright infringement and deception in the entertainment industry. It raises questions about the ethical boundaries of using personalized content for commercial gain without the creator’s consent.
While Santos seeks justice for what he perceives as a violation of his rights, Kimmel and his team will have to defend their actions and provide their side of the story. As the lawsuit unfolds, it remains to be seen how the court will rule on this matter and what implications it may have for future cases involving similar circumstances.
In the world of entertainment, where creativity and intellectual property are highly valued, cases like this serve as a reminder of the importance of respecting copyrights and obtaining proper consent before using someone’s work for commercial purposes. As the legal battle progresses, it will undoubtedly shed light on the complexities of copyright law and its application in the digital age.