A high school English instructor and creative writing teacher in North Carolina has filed a lawsuit against Netflix’s Outer Banks citing copyright infringement.
The North Carolina teacher, named Kevin Wooten, accuses Outer Banks creators Jonas Pate and Joshua Pate of stealing the plot of his 2016 young adult novel, Pennywise: The Hunt For Blackbeard’s Treasure!.
Both set in the outer banks of North Carolina, Pennywise and Outer Banks, follow a group of teenagers who find themselves in possession of a treasure map and embark on a search for hidden riches. According to the lawsuit, both the novel and series feature a rich villain who also seeks the treasure.
Additionally, Wooten’s lawsuit accuses the series creators for copying the his original novel’s setting, character and plot. He also claims he sold a number of his copies in Wilmington, where one of the Pate brothers lives.
The North Carolina instructor seeks statutory damages, punitive actions, royalties and a credit line in the series, the lawsuit states.
Netflix did not respond to request for comment on the complaint.