Producers of The Big Bang Theory face legal action over 'Soft Kitty' copyright claims
THE BIG BANG THEORY has been hit with a hefty lawsuit for reportedly using the lyrics to a song without legal permission.
The Big Bang Theory has been hit with a lawsuit which claims CBS illegally used a song in the show
Two daughters, Ellen Newlin Chase and Margaret Chase Perry, are making a copyright infringement case against CBS, who featured their mother's song in the show.
In several episodes the characters sing a lullaby, which includes the vocals: "soft kitty, warm kitty", a line allegedly taken from Ellen Newlin.
Newlin, who died in 2004 at the age of 99, is said to have written the lyrics when she taught at a nursery school in Alstead, New Hampshire.
Her daughters claim that the song, which she penned back in the 1930s, has been featured in eight episodes since 2008 - one year after the show's debut.
The producers allegedly allowed the use of a lullaby without permission
Two daughters, from Alstead, New Hampshire, have filed the claim
The legal document says: "The Soft Kitty Lyrics are among the best-known and most popular aspects of The Big Bang Theory.
"They have become a signature and emblematic feature of the show and a central part of the show's promotion."
It continues that Willis Music went ahead and used the lyrics without consulting Newlin's heirs, and that they have since made their way onto numerous pieces of merchandise.
The cast sang the song in eight episodes from 2008 to present day
The lawsuit claims that the lyrics have been used on merchandise including toys and shirts
The lullaby has been plastered across magnets, toys, clothing, mouse pads, mobile phone covers, wallets, air fresheners.
The daughters, both in their 70s, are said to have never seen the show and only stumbled upon the alleged copyright infringement, when Ellen Newlin Chase was researching a paper about her mum.