A very interesting article on the BostonHerald.com about a lawsuit filed by a 33-year-old former art student who alleges that Outkast’s Andre “Andre 3000″ Benjamin and the Cartoon Network and Turner Broadcasting bit his animated series concept about a group of young musicians and repackaged it as the highly publicized “Class of 3000.”,

Timothy McGee, currently a Boston postal worker is seeking $2 million in damages for profits from the show and legal fees  for copyright infringement, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.  According to the suit, McGee pitched his ideas of an animated series called “The Music Factory of the ’90′s,” 10 years before “Class” began airing on the Cartoon channel.

The suit alleges McGee submitted a proposal to Michael Lazzo, then a VP of programming for the Cartoon Network, and promptly received a rejection letter. Hmmmm…sound fishy?  Lets examine the similarities and let the Nation play jury.

Synopsis:
McGee’s “The Music Factory of the ’90′s”followed a group of young musicians “as they try to break into Atlanta’s burgeoning music scene.”

Characters:
“A young corporate type” who dreams of being a music producer,
A “tough full-of-attitude female executive,
A young techno-whiz sound engineer,
A talented young Asian singer
A central energetic young singer/rapper,” states the suit.

Nine plus years later,

Synopsis:
In November 2006, the Cartoon Network premiered the (now canceled) “Class of 3000,” an animated series about young musicians in Atlanta with the show’s host and main character was voiced by Benjamin.

Characters
The characters included an aspiring music producer,
A “tough, brash full-of-attitude” female string player
A “technological genius bass player, and talented twins of Asian ethnicity,”

“Class of 3000″ was canceled in December 2007 but was issued a 2007 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation.

Something tells me this one will be swept under the rug but there are some very stark similarities here.  I’ll keep you posted if anything develops.

Via Billboard/ Boston Herold