Crowder Takes CNN to Court Over Alleged ‘Change My Mind’ Rip-Off at Talarico Town Hall
Steven Crowder’s LWC IP has filed a trademark suit in federal court in Fort Worth, alleging CNN and Jubilee’s town hall with James Talarico was modeled on his signature format.
Steven Crowder has taken CNN and its co-producer Jubilee Media to federal court, alleging that their town hall with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was an unauthorized use of his “Change My Mind” format.
The lawsuit, filed by Crowder’s company LWC IP in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, claims the Oct. 14 town hall “appropriated” the series, in which Crowder sits at a table on college campuses under banners such as “I’m Pro-Gun. Change My Mind.” and debates people who disagree with him, Deadline reported.
The complaint says Crowder and Louder with Crowder have cultivated goodwill and credibility with conservative and Republican audiences through the series “over nearly a decade.”
The CNN/Jubilee event featured Talarico answering questions from moderator Erin Burnett and audience members, along with a segment in which he sat and talked with Texans who did not share his views. The suit says the format was “intentionally modeled after LWC’s ‘Change My Mind’ series” and includes screenshots of the event showing the phrase “Change My Mind.”
“In a nationally televised town hall, Defendants appropriated LWC IP’s mark and signature format to leverage the goodwill and credibility Steven Crowder and Louder with Crowder have cultivated among conservative and Republican audiences over nearly a decade,” the complaint states.
The suit argues the defendants acted “in the midst of a closely watched Texas Senate race, seeking to benefit from the public association between the Mark and conservative political discourse while creating a likelihood that viewers would perceive endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation where none existed.”
In addition to trademark infringement, the complaint alleges trademark counterfeiting and dilution. It seeks an injunction barring use of the mark and unspecified damages.
Spokespersons for CNN and Jubilee did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Deadline. The claims have not been tested in court.
Crowder discussed his decision not to do a Jubilee debate in an Oct. 31 interview on the Jack Neel Podcast.
