News Court Doesn't Stop Mutant X (8-10-01)

Court Doesn't Stop Mutant X

A U.S. District Court has rejected an attempt to block production of the syndicated science fiction series Mutant X, which is set to debut this fall. 20th Century Fox Corp. filed suit in April, alleging that Mutant X, a co-production of Tribune Entertainment, Marvel Comics and Fireworks Entertainment, is a look-alike
TV version of Fox's hit movie X-Men, which is also based on Marvel Comics characters. After the court's decision yesterday, Tribune Entertainment and Fox both claimed victory. In a statement, Fox said the court found that Fox could "recover monetary damages" for Marvel and Tribune's use of the Mutant X title and that a permanent injunction on the title "may later issue." The court found that "Fox has demonstrated a clear likelihood of success for a claim of breach of contract grounded in the defendants' use of the Mutant X name as the title of the proposed series."

However, the court also ruled that nothing "in the evidence submitted in support of Fox's motion for a preliminary injunction indicates that the actions of Tribune and/or Fireworks, in assisting in the creation and production of the new series, suggests that it was their intent to induce a breach."