Steven Seagal, A&E Television Network Settle Stolen Cable Reality TV Show Idea Lawsuit

(CNS)

February 1, 2011

Steven Seagal, A&E Television Network and a production company that claimed the actor and cable channel stole its idea for a reality TV show have settled a lawsuit out of court.

Defense attorneys filed court papers on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court stating that the lawsuit brought by the Idea Factory had been “amicably resolved.” No terms were divulged.

The plaintiffs maintained in their multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed in August 2009 that its representatives met with Seagal in 2007 and presented their idea of a reality show.

They also took the pitch to A&E Television Network, where the idea was allegedly first broached about focusing a show on Seagal's work as a reserve deputy sheriff in Jefferson Parish, La.

Lawyers for A&E and the 58-year-old action star argued the suit should have been tossed because there was no written contract with Seagal to participate in the Idea Factory show, and that the idea for the show was not unique.

But on Dec. 15, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Alarcon ruled that a jury should decide the case. Settlement talks then ensued.

The lawsuit was filed just before the premiere of A&E's Steven Seagal: Lawman, which Idea Factory claimed in its lawsuit was taken from its proposals.

The lawsuit maintained an agreement was in place with Seagal to do the show with Idea Factory and that an additional contract was presumed to exist with A&E for Idea Factory to produce any Seagal program.