Warner Bros. Challenges Fox’s Promotion of The Vow

Warner Bros. Television has sent Fox and Lionsgate a cease-and-desist letter alleging that promotional material for The Vow improperly uses elements associated with The Bachelor. Fox News Media disputed the claims, and the exchange has drawn a public response from former Bachelor host Chris Harrison. No legal ruling or resolution has been reported. The letter, sent October 1, argues that a teaser for the Fox Nation dating series capitalizes on The Bachelor’s intellectual property and goodwill. Warner Bros. Television, which produces the franchise, cited promotional imagery including roses and a mansion resembling the one associated with The Bachelor. It said it had no objection to Fox and Lionsgate releasing a dating show hosted by Harrison, but objected to how the series had been promoted. Fox News Media’s response rejected the assertion that Warner Bros. has exclusive rights to roses as a motif or to the word “bachelor” when used to describe an unmarried man. The company said the teaser was intended to present The Vow as a different approach to dating shows, focused on meaningful relationships, commitment and building a life together. Fox also argued that the promotion’s use...