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Disney, ABC Family Hit With Lawsuit, Accused of Stealing Idea for Christmas Movie

Jan 15, 2013  •  Post A Comment

Disney and the ABC Family Channel, among others, were sued Monday by two television producers who allege a story concept they pitched to ABC Family was stolen for a TV movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s Hollywood, Esq.

Beth Grossbard and Barri Rosenblum allege in the suit that they pitched an idea in 2005 for a movie called "I Hate Christmas," which is described as a girl’s version of the movie "Groundhog Day." The suit says they talked with Beth Miller, then director of development at ABC Family, about the idea. Miller is named in the suit.

The producers gave ABC Family an eight-page treatment, and the network considered the project for several months before telling them it wasn’t going forward with the project, the piece reports.

The producers say that in December 2011 they saw an ABC Family movie called "The 12 Dates of Christmas," which they claim is similar in concept and used specific devices that they had suggested. Miller was a producer of the movie, although she had left the network.

ABC didn’t immediately respond to a request for a comment, the story says.

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