Photo: Diyah Pera/Netflix
Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is full of witchcraft, orgies, necromancy, cannibalism, Satan worshippers, and everything in between. Some details of the show are proving a little too controversial for some viewers. The Satanic Temple in particular is not pleased.
The Salem, Massachusetts-based church filed a $150 million lawsuit in New York yesterday against both Netflix and Warner Bros. for allegedly violating the copyright and trademark of The Satanic Temple’s Baphomet statue. Baphomet is a deity with a human body, large black wings, and the head of a goat. In 2015, The Satanic Temple unveiled their own 9-foot-tall sculpture of Baphomet sitting on a throne with a boy and a girl looking up at it. An almost identical statue appears multiple times throughout the first season of Sabrina, which debuted on the streaming platform on Oct. 26.
Lucien Greaves, cofounder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, tweeted out a comparison photo.
For purposes of comparison… pic.twitter.com/AZJvmq1Cks
— Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) October 30, 2018
The plaintiffs ask for at least $50 million for each alleged infraction: copyright infringement, trademark violation, and injury to the business’ reputation, in addition to requesting an injunction barring the companies from redistributing the series with the statue’s image. The lawsuit argues that Sabrina’s use of the statue “as the central focal point of the school associated with evil, cannibalism, and possibly murder is injurious to TST’s business.”
Greaves’ recent tweet storm reveals several conflicting opinions. First he suggested that the use of the Satanic statue is cultural appropriation, then he likened it to religious prejudice against The Satanic Temple, then he seemingly backtracked to suggest the issue is solely about copyright infringement. When asked, “Are you then saying that if they used their own baphomet design, you wouldn’t be taking legal action? Is it really that simple?” Greaves tweeted back, “It is.” But then Greaves tweeted repeatedly that he doesn’t like being portrayed as an “evil cannibalistic cult,” indicating that he takes umbrage with way more than just the statue.
Yes, we are taking legal action regarding #TheChillingAdventuresofSabrina appropriating our copyrighted monument design to promote their asinine Satanic Panic fiction.
— Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) October 29, 2018
I'm amazed that anybody is confused as to why we would seek legal remedy over Sabrina using our monument. Would they be as understanding of a fictional show that used a real mosque as the HQ of a terrorist cell? A fictional Blood Libel tale implicating real world Jews?
— Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) October 29, 2018
Neither Netflix nor Warner Bros. commented publicly on the lawsuit or Greaves’ claims.
h/t CNBC
