Santa Monica, CA, May 23, 2006 – Valle & Associates (www.valleassociates.com) has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of Adam Pick against American Idol Productions, Inc. and Fremantle Media of North America, Inc. alleging that the owners of American Idol stole an ingenious and highly lucrative website idea from Mr. Pick, a local businessman and American Idol fan.  

Pick created and developed an idea for a website that would feature an interactive fantasy game in which American Idol fans, acting as fantasy judges, would pick the next American Idol contestant to “go home” – i.e. to be eliminated.  The game was coupled with an online platform for American Idol fans to post their own personal blogs and photos.
 
"My idea gives 30 million American Idol  fans an entirely new way to play along with Simon, Paula and Randy," said Adam Pick, Idol Go Home founder. "My fantasy game provides the fans with a unique opportunity to compete against each other and to win awesome prizes for watching American Idol. It is fantasy football with a reality TV twist."   

Ideas Presented and Stolen
After reviewing Pick’s idea and even a prototype of the website, the suit alleges that the Defendants claimed that they were not interested in Pick’s concept but had no problem if he launched his own website using the ideas. Afterwards, Pick successfully launched his own website (www.IdolGoHome.com). The Defendants then demanded that he immediately shut it down. At the same time, the suit alleges, the Defendants modified their own website to incorporate virtually all of the ideas Pick had pitched to them.
 
"The lawsuit is based upon the well established legal principle that, under certain circumstances, an implied contract not to steal an idea is created when an idea is pitched to a potential buyer," declared Jeffrey Valle, Pick's attorney.
           
Vote Tampering
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an order that the Defendants (and additional Defendant Fox Television Stations, Inc, which operates Defendants’ website,) be prevented from using Pick’s ideas on their website.  The suit alleges that one the reasons the Defendants wanted to shut down Pick’s website and take control of his ideas was a concern that Pick’s website, which would include voting results, could reveal an inconsistency in American Idol’s official results, and thus corroborate vote-tampering allegations against American Idol.  American Idol has been dogged by rumors and allegations of vote tampering, most recently in connection with the surprise elimination last week of American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry.  

Read "American Idol Sues Fan for $500,000"

About Valle & Associates
Valle & Associates was founded by Jeffrey Valle, an accomplished trial lawyer and former senior partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Mr. Valle is a veteran of some of the most important and highly-publicized cases in California. He has over 20 years of trial and appellate experience representing clients in a wide variety of business, commercial and entertainment matters.

Contact:
Jeffrey Valle
Valle & Associates
Telephone: 310-260-8600
Email: jvalle@valleassociates.com