‘Abbott Elementary’ and Quinta Brunson’s ‘knock-off’ copyright suit dropped
nypost.comdismissed a lawsuit against Brunson, 34, and ABC on Tuesday filed by writer Christine Davis in 2021, claiming the hit sitcom was a “veritable knock-off” of her show “This School Year.”According to the court decision obtained by The Post, the judge found that “no discerning observer would find the works to be substantially similar.”“Indeed, as demonstrated by the Court’s analysis of each of Plaintiff’s alleged similarities, the two works use qualitatively different plots, themes, and characters to cast different perspectives on the experiences of teachers in under-resources, inner-city public school settings,” the document says of the differences between the two shows.
Davis wrote her mockumentary-style script, based in a New York City public school, in 2018, and registered with the copyright office in early 2020.
Brunson’s creation, set in Philadelphia, premiered on ABC in 2021.“ ‘This School Year’ blends comedy with a harder-edged look at the uncertainties and challenges teachers face, with Ms.
Davis’ pragmatic goal of securing tenure as a key example,” the docs state.“ ‘Abbott Elementary,’ on the other hand, employs a comparatively lighter tone, utilizing Ms.
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