Channel Seven has this morning taken arch rival Nine to the federal court in a bid to stop Nine’s new cooking show The Hotplate from airing claiming it’s a direct copy of its own hugely successful cooking show My Kitchen Rules.
The application from Seven asked for Nine’s new reality cooking show to be removed from air while a court determined if it indeed breached MKR’s copyright.
It has been reported in the press that lawyers from Seven claimed its rival had basically copied most parts of MKR’s highly successful format.
Seven’s legal representation claimed that the program was “remarkably similar” to MKR. Seven argued everything from the hosts to the dynamic tension of the show was similar; however, this is despite Nine’s version being played out in restaurants and Seven’s in people’s homes.
Seven also believed that the interstate rivalry in The Hotplate was identical to MKR.
The judge from this morning’s hearing, Justice John Nicholas, argued that the removal of the show would kill it off.
The Australian has this afternoon quoted the barrister acting for Nine, Bruce McClintock SC, as saying: “Practically speaking it is obvious to everyone in this courtroom that the program would be dead.”
The case continues this afternoon with no verdict likely today.
Nine’s The Hotplate has a big ratings lead over Seven’s Restaurant Revolution and arguably another reason the Kerry Stokes-owned network would be keen to see its rival banished.
