A plagiarism lawsuit against WWE and AEW was refiled in January, just two months after it was dismissed by the Honorable Court.
As we previously reported here on eWn, Anthony Duane Wilson filed a suit against both WWE and AEW in August 2023, alleging that they committed “plagiarism, market damages, product damages, personal damages, and financial damages.”
The handwritten lawsuit was dismissed in November and refiled in January.
AEW and WWE have both received extensions on their deadline to respond to the plagiarism lawsuit filed against them.
Pwinsider is reporting that both WWE and AEW were served with the lawsuit following which the companies filed extensions to their deadline to respond.
Those requests were granted and AEW now has until February 23rd to respond, while WWE has until March 7th.
The refiled lawsuit is essentially identical to the original lawsuit. Wilson alleges that “WWE, its contractors, and employees have on multiple dates used my creative works without permission, infringing on my wrestling gimmicks, names, slogans and likeness.”
As for AEW, Wilson has claimed that was going to launch his own promotion and had spoken with “members of the Bullet Club to join me in the venture of starting my company…they stole the plans from me and my social media pages and cut me out without giving credit or the portion I am entitled to as the creator.”
Wilson is seeking $250,000 in damages and claims, “[The matter has caused me] market damages, product damages, personal damages, financial damages. WWE an (sic) AEW are still using infringing works of mine, claiming they created these things and are not crediting me or paying for them, Many of which are not for sale. This will follow me my entire career. This has cost me work outside of professional wrestling and inside professional wrestling. These things have cost me fans an (sic) income. Several of these infringements were done maliciously to damage my reputation an (sic) career, attempting to embarrass me or waste my time. I’m a writer an (sic) professional wrestler, my creative works are my livelyhood (sic). From my research, I was informed if you cut out an original partner or the creator control of the company belongs to the exiled party. I’m seeking control of AEW an (sic) removal of stolen works, a public apology an (sic) a financial settlement for damages, my works an (sic) career will see until I retire. WWE Board Chair, WWE Stock for freelance work an (sic) business tactics of mine. Return all ships and plunder.”
A Plagiarism Lawsuit Against WWE and AEW Refiled: What You Need to Know
In a surprising turn of events, a plagiarism lawsuit against both WWE and AEW has been refiled just two months after it was initially dismissed by the Honorable Court. The lawsuit, filed by Anthony Duane Wilson in August 2023, alleges various damages including plagiarism, market damages, product damages, personal damages, and financial damages.
The handwritten lawsuit was initially dismissed in November but has now been refiled in January. Both AEW and WWE have been granted extensions on their deadline to respond to the lawsuit. Pwinsider reports that both companies were served with the lawsuit, prompting them to request extensions for their response deadlines.
AEW now has until February 23rd to respond, while WWE has until March 7th. The refiled lawsuit is essentially identical to the original one, with Wilson claiming that WWE, its contractors, and employees have used his creative works without permission on multiple occasions. He alleges that they have infringed on his wrestling gimmicks, names, slogans, and likeness.
Regarding AEW, Wilson claims that he had plans to launch his own promotion and had even spoken with members of the Bullet Club to join him in this venture. However, he alleges that AEW stole his plans from his social media pages and cut him out without giving credit or the portion he is entitled to as the creator.
Wilson is seeking $250,000 in damages and claims that these alleged infringements have caused him market damages, product damages, personal damages, and financial damages. He states that WWE and AEW are still using his infringing works without crediting him or compensating him for them, many of which are not even for sale. He further claims that these actions have negatively impacted his career both inside and outside of professional wrestling, costing him fans and income.
According to Wilson, several of these infringements were done maliciously to damage his reputation and career, attempting to embarrass him or waste his time. As a writer and professional wrestler, he emphasizes that his creative works are his livelihood. He also mentions that, based on his research, if an original partner or creator is cut out of a company, control of the company should belong to the exiled party. Therefore, he is seeking control of AEW, removal of stolen works, a public apology, and a financial settlement for damages. Wilson asserts that the effects of these alleged infringements will follow him throughout his entire career.
The lawsuit also mentions specific demands such as WWE Board Chair, WWE Stock for freelance work and business tactics, and the return of all ships and plunder.
As the case unfolds, it will be interesting to see how both WWE and AEW respond to these allegations and what the outcome will be. Plagiarism is a serious offense that can have significant consequences in the world of intellectual property.