10 Huge TV Shows That Have Been Sued For Being Complete Rip-Offs

The use of an obscure old poem might not seem like such a big deal to some, but to the daughters of New Hampshire teacher Edith Newlin it represents blatant plagiarism. Newlin – who died in 2004 – wrote the children’s poem Soft Kitty in the 1930s, the lyrics of which have been used on The Big Bang Theory at least eight times according to her heirs.

While fans of the sitcom have played down the importance of the poem to the show, the plaintiffs point out that the song (which is a source of comfort to genius man-child Sheldon Cooper) has been used extensively on TBBT merchandise. The lawsuit states that "the Soft Kitty lyrics are among the best-known and most popular aspects of The Big Bang Theory. They have become a signature and emblematic feature of the show and a central part of the show’s promotion."

As well as failing to credit Newlin as the author, her daughters allege that the show’s producers often made it appear as if they had written the song themselves, leading mass sing-songs with huge crowds during at least three different conventions.

The show maintains that it sought permission to use the lyrics from Willis Music in 2007, a company that published Soft Kitty in its book Songs for the Nursery School. According to Newlin’s daughters, Willis Music do not own the rights to the song, creating a legal headache for CBS and Warner Bros. that could linger for some time.