[2025] EWHC 39 (IPEC)

The Defendant put the Claimant to proof of his authorship of the format of Shambles. It pointed tothe credits for all of the episodes of Series 1, which state “Devised and directed by Harry Deansway with contributions from the cast” and to some documents passing between the Claimant and Jesse Cleverly of Wildseed, in which Mr Cleverly appeared to make some suggestions as to character development. Mr Rinkoff was cross-examined on these points. He maintained that the authorship of both Series was his alone. He accepted that Mr Cleverly had made suggestions but said that he thought that he had not accepted them.

Whilst the Claimant’s evidence on whether he had accepted anyone else’s suggestions was vague and, it seemed to me, was heavily influenced by his view that this was his show, incorporating his ideas, it does seem to me probable that the pleaded features in paragraph 8 of the Amended Particulars of Claim were all Mr Rinkoff’s own ideas. Possibly other people had some input into the details of characterisation, or details of plots, which are not part of the format as identified in the pleaded case, but I am satisfied that the Claimant was the sole author of the alleged format.