Netflix landed themselves in hot water with The Satanic Temple over the use of one of their statues in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” late last year, and they’re now kicking off 2019 with yet another legal battle. As reported by The Wrap today, children’s book publisher Chooseco, LLC holds the “Choose Your Own Adventure” trademark, and they’re none too happy about the phrase being used in Netflix’s “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,“ a somewhat innovative Choose Your Own Adventure feature film that debuted on the service on December 28.
The term “Choose Your Own Adventure” is indeed mentioned in “Bandersnatch,” which all around is driven by the concept that first began many years ago in the world of books.
“Netflix has no license or authorization to use Chooseco’s trademark and, upon information and belief, used the mark willfully and intentionally to capitalize on viewers’ nostalgia for the original book series from the 1980s and 1990s,” the company said in the lawsuit. “The film’s dark and, at times, disturbing content dilutes the goodwill for and positive associations with Chooseco’ s mark and tarnishes its products.”
Interestingly, Chooseco (who has owned the trademark since the ’80s) claims they negotiated with Netflix in 2016 about the use of phrase, but they never gave Netflix the license.
“Bandersnatch” isn’t the first film to use the format, of course, as horror fans will remember Final Destination 3 and Return to House on Haunted Hill adopting the format for DVD.
Writer in the horror community since 2008. Owns Eli Roth’s prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has three awesome cats. Still plays with toys.
