Seven, Nine in legal battle over cooking formats

Australia’s two biggest broadcasters are locked in a legal battle over their showpiece cooking formats.

My Kitchen Rules

Seven Network has taken arch rival Nine to court this week, alleging that its new series, The Hotplate, is a copy of its own cooking competition series My Kitchen Rules.

Seven is demanding the Nine series, which is produced by Endemol Shine Australia, is pulled. Seven’s show, My Kitchen Rules, has been on air for six seasons.

A Seven spokesman told the Australian Business Review: “Channel Nine’s on-air promotions for its programme had a strange sense of deja vu. We then saw it.

“We believe Nine has appropriated Seven’s My Kitchen Rules original format and related production elements, and contravened copyright. That’s why we’re in court.”

In the opening day of the Federal court case, Seven’s legal team said that Nine deliberately copied the Seven show and Endemol Shine had obtained the bible for the rival format, which it distributes internationally with some success, in the process of making its show.

Nine denies the allegations and is defending The Hotplate, which has performed strongly in the ratings. Endemol Shine declined comment this morning.

Nine and Endemol Shine will present their defence in court today as the case continues.