LOS ANGELES: Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) dropped its lawsuit against creators of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical after reaching a settlement, according to a person familiar with matter. Streaming service filed a copyright infringement suit against Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear in Washington in late July, three days after a sold-out performance of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical in US capital’s Kennedy Centre. Netflix disclosed in documents filed Friday in federal district court that it had dismissed case “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot bring case again.

After Bridgerton debuted on Netflix in December 2020, creative duo known as Barlow and Bear began posting about series on TikTok, composing songs based on characters, scenes, dialogue and plot points. They subsequently released an album titled The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which won a Grammy Award and led to stage show. Netflix series is based on Regency-era romance novels by Julia Quinn. “Barlow and Bear’s conduct began on social media, but stretches ‘fan fiction’ well past its breaking point,” Netflix said in its original complaint. “It is a blatant infringement of intellectual property rights.”

Barlow and Bear cancelled a performance at Royal Albert Hall in London that had been scheduled for September, according to a post on Instagram account of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Barlow and Bear did not respond to a request for comment.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 26 2022

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