Seven has said it will “continue seek to protect our business and the content we create” amid the court’s ruling yesterday that the first season of Nine’s The Hot Plate will remain on air.
Seven lodged a case against Nine and its new reality cooking show The Hotplate, claiming the show was a rip-off of Seven’s ratings bonanza My Kitchen Rules.
The networks went to court this week where Seven argued to have The Hotplate taken off-air. However, per Fairfax Media, Justice John Nicholas ruled Nine’s reality show will remain on TV, at least for the first season.
However, he noted Seven had an “arguable” case for copyright infringement. Yesterday also saw news emerge some advertisers may be seeking refunds, as reports suggested advertisers were promised audiences around the million mark.
Seven issued the below statement yesterday evening about the court case.
“We will continue seek to protect our business and the content we create.
“His Honour today found that Seven has an arguable case that the close similarity of the formats
is the result of copying and that there is a reasonable basis for Seven to argue that, directly or indirectly, the team responsible for developing the Hotplate format has copied the format, or a large part of the format, used in MKR.
“Seven will continue its case against the Nine program which it asserts is a straight rip-off of My Kitchen Rules.
“The defendants, when the matters proceed to full hearing, includes the Endemol Group, the distributor of MKR program, as well as Nine. Seven needs to protect not only the Australian version of My Kitchen Rules but also the distribution rights in many overseas territories. Given the importance of the matter, Seven has asked the court to deal with the matter as an urgent hearing.
“My Kitchen Rules is the number one show in Australia. It is also broadcast in in 162 countries. There are local versions of MKR being produced under licence in seven international markets very successfully, including Canada, Lithuania, UK, Serbia, New Zealand, Belgium and Denmark.
“Seven will also continue to create new and original programmes. That commitment has underpinned our continuing leadership in television and a success that others seek to copy.”
Seven has decreased the broadcasting of its new reality cooking show Restaurant Revolution, down from four nights a week to one, with various other shows, including a show about internet cats, to take the prime time slot for the network.
