‘Ted’ Lawsuit Dismissed Against Universal & Seth MacFarlane

The creators of a web series about a foul-mouthed teddy bear who likes booze, cigarettes and paying for sex have ended their copyright infringement suit against Seth MacFarlane, Universal Pictures and the producers of the 2012 blockbuster Ted. “The parties hereby stipulate and agree … that this action, and Plaintiff’s Complaint for Copyright Infringement, shall be dismissed in its entirety with prejudice, each side to bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees,” says a stipulation by the defendants and plaintiffs Bengal Mangle Productions (read it here). The filing dated March 18 was made public today.

The producers of Charlie The Abusive Teddy and Acting School Academy filed their jury-trial-demanding complaint in federal court back on July 15. Based on their estimation at the time that Ted earned “$218,665,740 domestically and $549,443,883 worldwide,” Bengal Mangle was seeking a variety of damages in their suit. A statement from defendant Media Rights Capital is a pretty clear indication that they didn’t get much in the end, if anything. “The plaintiff has conceded that the Ted character was independently created by Seth MacFarlane using his own efforts and creativity,” the company said Monday. “For the past 10 years, MRC has had a front-row seat to one of the most brilliant artists working today. Seth’s unfiltered and genius imagination brings life to everything he touches. As both partners and huge fans, we are proud to work with a special talent and can’t wait for Seth to bring Ted 2 to life for audiences this summer. A rep for MacFarlane says the producer/director does “not intend to countersue.” Ouch!

The Universal-distributed Ted 2 is set to hit the big screen on June 25 with MacFarlane directing, co-writing and providing the voice of the bear himself again.