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'South Park' creators sued over King Lollipop character
Oct. 15, 2012, 6:17 PM EST
By Tim KenneallyTheWrap
"South Park" masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone have found themselves in a legal entanglement -- and this one looks like it might really suck.
Parker and Stone are being sued over their character King Lollipop, which appeared in three episodes in 2009, by a man who claims that they stole the character from his own show.
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Exavier Wardlaw claims that King Lollipop, which was included in the "Imaginationland" trilogy, is based on the Big Bad Lollipop character from "The Lollipop Forest." (Yeah -- we've never heard of it either.) Wardlaw's complaint, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, claims financial infringement.
Wardlaw is particularly incensed that his show, which he categorizes as "a wholesome family show," was allegedly appropriated by "South Park," which, um, isn't a wholesome family show.
"The 'South Park' television show and its producers, directors and writers disregarded the public copyright notice and appropriated 'The Lollipop Forest' for financial gain, without permission or attribution of authorship or compensation for use," the complaint reads. "The 'South Park' television broadcast diminished/tarnished the value of 'The Lollipop Forest' as a wholesome family show by association within the context of unwholesome language and sexual innuendo."
Wardlaw is seeking that all alleged references to "The Lollipop Forest" and characters derived from it be removed from the opening titles of the shows featuring King Lollipop.
"Imaginationland" took home an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program for One Hour or More.
Comedy Central, which airs "South Park," had no comment for TheWrap regarding the lawsuit.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
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