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Preternaturally unfunny talk show host Jay Leno and keeper of the sing-songy one-liner, Rita Rudner, have both filed a lawsuit against an author who has reprinted hundreds of the performers’ jokes–many of which were quite possibly written by the comedians themselves!–in a series of joke compendiums currently designated as required reading for scores of “Death of Humor” college seminars across the country:
“[Author Judy Brown]’s books credit the comedians who wrote the jokes, which only serves to make the copyright violations more egregious,” the complaint states. “(T)he books sell precisely because they include jokes by famous comedians, and they are marketed on that very basis.” […]
“I think jokes are an expression of an idea, and each word is put together in a certain way to make someone laugh,” [Attorney Theodore] Boutrous added. “They are indeed copyrightable, and they are copyrighted jokes.”
To illustrate his point, Boutrous then went on to mention Leno’s recent copyrighting of his own “I don’t know what he was drinking, but I think you can rule out Manischewitz!” quip about frequent Tonight Show monologue target Mel Gibson: a perfect, polished comedy gem meant to elicit a satisfying belly laugh from viewers watching from bed in Peoria, who instantly recognize the hilarity of specifically naming the most popular brand of that sweet, nasty stuff that Jews drink.
Comedians Allege Joke Compilations Infringe [The Reporter, Esq.]
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