ANM News Desk: The publisher of the Choose Your Own Adventure book series is suing Netflix for at least $25 million over its interactive Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch. Chooseco filed its lawsuit against Netflix in a Vermont court, accusing Netflix of willfully infringing on the “Choose Your Own Adventure” trademark and claiming that the episode is so dark it will tarnish the books’ reputation.
The complaint, claims that Netflix started trying to license the Choose Your Own Adventure name starting in 2016. While the companies engaged in “extensive negotiations,” Netflix allegedly didn’t get the license.
Chooseco takes issue with Bandersnatch’s protagonist Stefan Butler describing a fictitious interactive novel (which is also titled Bandersnatch) as “a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book,” implying it’s an official part of the series. It’s particularly upset with the reference because Bandersnatch is “a dark film” that “can include references to and depictions of a demonic presence, violent fighting, drug use, murder, mutilation of a corpse, decapitation, and other upsetting imagery.” “Association with this grim content tarnishes Chooseco’s famous trademark,” says the complaint.