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Deanna Schwartz

The Netflix v. 'Unofficial Bridgerton Musical' lawsuit, explained

Netflix Abigail Barlow Emily Bear Bridgerton Lawsuit Derek Miller Rebecca Tushnet United States Intellectual Property NPR

For musical theater fans and romance novel lovers, the news was shocking: Netflix is suing Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind the Grammy-winning Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, for "blatant infringement of intellectual property rights."

The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, inspired by the Netflix show and book series by Julia Quinn, began on TikTok in early 2021 and was released as an album in September 2021, with 15 songs performed by Barlow and Bear. The duo won the 2022 Grammy Award for best musical theater album.

Last week's news left many fans with questions about the lawsuit, the future of the musical, and what it all means.

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