A North Carolina English teacher and author, Kevin Wooten has filed a lawsuit in the Georgia Northern District Court against Netflix and the creators of their hit show, Outer Banks alleging copyright infringement.
The plaintiff alleges that Outer Banks, a teen adventure and drama series stole the plot from his 2016 novel “Pennywise: The Hunt for Blackbeard’s Treasure” without permission or authorization.
The plaintiff reportedly said that the defendant’s show and Wooten’s book have the same number of main characters, storylines and feature antagonists consisting of a rich benefactor and a corrupt member of law enforcement and discover similar clues leading them to buried treasure, which is then stolen by the said antagonists.
The plaintiff alleges that the defendant had access to his book before hosting the show because the creator of the show, Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke named Wilmington North Carolina, where Winton sold and promoted the book, as a source of inspiration.
Wooten’s book reportedly reads: “Benjamin and Nathaniel Pennywise, along with their uncle, Ottaway Burns, discover a clue while diving off the coast of Ocracoke that takes them on an adventure spanning two continents. They must outwit a sinister group of treasure hunters who will stop at nothing to lay hold to the chest so they can use its contents to further their agenda.”
Winton is seeking payment for damages as well as ongoing royalties from Outer Banks, which was renewed for a second season on Netflix.
The case is pending.
Wooten v. Netflix, Inc. et al
| Judge: | Timothy C Batten, Sr |
| Court: | Georgia Northern District Court |
| Case #: | 1:20-cv-05166 |
| Nature of Suit: | Copyright |
| Cause: | Copyright Infringement |
| Case Filed: | Dec 21, 2020 |
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