CBS has filed a lawsuit against ABC for infringement of copyright law, saying the network's upcoming "Life in a Glass House" is similar to CBS' "Big Brother."
The complaint, filed by CBS Thursday in Los Angeles federal court, alleges the ABC show "replicates every key aspect of 'Big Brother,' including, among other things, its plot, themes, mood, setting, pace, characters [and] sequence of events."
ABC had previously not responded to a cease-and-desist request filed by CBS last week, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
"The differences between 'Glass House' and 'Big Brother' are both fundamental and obvious, ranging from Glass House's interactive elements and audience participation to its deployment of cutting-edge technologies," ABC said.
Both reality shows film strangers living together in a competition in which one contestant emerges as the winner.
Lance Lieberman, an intellectual-property attorney, said it is CBS' responsibility to prove in court ABC was directly copying ideas unique to "Big Brother."
"Any time a new show comes out that's basically the same idea, there are always these kinds of charges," Lieberman said.
"Life in a Glass House" is scheduled to premiere June 18, the Journal said.