LOS ANGELES: A production company is suing US comic Seth MacFarlane for breach of copyright, claiming he based his foul-mouthed character in hit movie “Ted” on an abusive teddy bear created years before.
Bengal Mangle Productions say MacFarlane’s Ted, who drinks, takes drugs and likes prostitutes, is based on the title character in “Charlie the Abusive Teddy Bear,” an online show dating from 2009.
“Charlie is a teddy bear who lives in a human, adult world with all human friends. Charlie has a penchant for drinking, smoking, prostitutes, and is a generally vulgar yet humorous character,” it said in a lawsuit.
The production company said Ted was strikingly similar to Charlie, and that “Ted,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis as well as the voice of MacFarlane in the title role, was the 12th highest grossing film of 2012, according to the lawsuit.
Overall the movie is also the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time, earning nearly $220 million in the US and $550 million worldwide.
The 16-page lawsuit includes a long list of similar expletive-laced lines from Charlie and Ted.
The production company whose lawsuit also includes side-by-side photos of the two bears, with beers in hand is seeking unspecified damages as well as legal fees.
Representatives for MacFarlane did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A sequel, “Ted 2,” is due for release in June 2015.
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