Dr. Phil suing Gawker over use of Manti Te’o hoaxer video, said it hurt ratings
Here is more proof that the Manti Te'o story simply will not die.
After all the parties went to Katie Couric and Dr. Phil and whatever other media outlets wanted to hear their tales, it seemed to be over. But, Dr. Phil is mad that another media outlet stole his thunder when he talked to the mastermind behind the fake girlfriend scheme, and he's going to court over it.
According to The Wrap, Peteski Productions, one of the producers of the Dr. Phil show, has filed a copyright infringement suit against Gawker Media. The suit says the Gawker site Deadspin.com posted video of the second show featuring Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who impersonated Te'o's "girlfriend" Lennay Kekua, before it aired to most of the country. Dr. Phil's people claim that ratings dropped because the "cliffhanger" was spoiled, according to The Wrap. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Texas.
Good times.
"In a premeditated plan to steal Peteski's copyrighted material, Deadspin posted the video of the second show to the Deadspin blog not later than 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, hours before the Dr. Phil Show aired to over 98 percent of its viewers," the complaint reads, according to The Wrap. "Although the second show was expected to exceed the ratings number of the first show, in fact, the ratings declined substantially because the the result of the 'CLIFFHANGER' was no longer in doubt. It had been misappropriated by Deadspin."
So just when we thought we were clear of this whole fiasco, they pull us back in.
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