In a devastating blow, comedian Harry Deansway has been ordered to pay £61,000 in court costs after losing his copyright case against Steve Coogan’s production company, Baby Cow Productions.

Deansway had accused the company of copying his groundbreaking YouTube series, Shambles, and using it as the basis for their 2022 show Live at the Moth Club.

The Legal Battle and Claims of Plagiarism

Deansway, whose real name is Joshua Rinkoff, alleged that Baby Cow had stolen the format of his show.

He pointed out significant similarities between Shambles—which aired on YouTube in 2013 and 2015—and Live at the Moth Club.

Both shows blended stand-up comedy with a sitcom set in a real-life comedy club.

Deansway argued that Baby Cow’s show had taken inspiration from his own, resulting in a direct infringement of his intellectual property.

However, Baby Cow’s legal team defended their show, claiming that Live at the Moth Club was a mockumentary and not a copy of Shambles.

They even went as far as to argue that Deansway’s show wasn’t original, drawing comparisons to classic shows like Seinfeld and The Muppet Show, which also blended sitcom elements with real-life settings.

Court Ruling and Devastating Outcome for Deansway

After a lengthy legal battle, Recorder Amanda Michaels ruled in favor of Baby Cow Productions, dismissing Deansway’s claim.

She explained that the format of Shambles was not eligible for copyright protection and that the alleged similarities between the two shows were simply due to the use of common comedic devices, rather than plagiarism.

The judge noted that the recurring jokes and stock characters found in both shows were not evidence of copying, but rather typical comedic tropes used across various sitcoms.

As a result, Deansway’s claim was thrown out, and he was ordered to pay Baby Cow’s legal costs.

The total amount for Baby Cow’s legal fees was over £100,000, but due to court rules, Deansway was only required to pay £61,000, plus an additional £1,000 in extra fees.

The Personal Impact on Deansway’s Career

In addition to the financial blow, Deansway also shared the personal toll the legal battle had on his career.

He explained that taking legal action against such a prominent company had led to him being ostracized from the comedy industry.

According to Deansway, he was no longer invited to comedy events and had become an outsider in the industry he had worked so hard to be a part of.

Deansway stated, “As a result of the legal action, I have been ostracized from the comedy industry.

I am no longer invited to various comedians’ parties and in general am out of the comedy loop.

It is not considered the done thing to stand up to a big production company.”

Despite the blow to his career, Deansway expressed his determination to move forward.

However, the ruling highlights the risks involved when small creators take on powerful production companies in the world of entertainment.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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