The audiovisual production company Coyote Conseil founded by host Christophe Dechavanne has lost its case against M6 over a reality show about “makeovers” and cosmetic surgery, the media group said on Wednesday.
The audiovisual production company Coyote Conseil founded by host Christophe Dechavanne has lost its case against M6 over a reality show about “makeovers” and cosmetic surgery, the media group said on Wednesday. Coyote Conseil was ordered by the Nanterre commercial court to reimburse 10,000 euros in legal costs to M6.
Acts of “parasitism”
She claimed from the television group nearly 10 million euros in damages for acts of “parasitism”. In 2017, M6 rejected Coyote’s offer for budget and content reasons, which wanted to adapt the reality TV show in France. Body Fixers, then produced and broadcast his own show Incredible transformations.
In this concept created in the United Kingdom, fashion experts are assisted by a plastic surgeon to completely “makeover” candidates. But according to the decision rendered on June 22 and consulted by AFP, Coyote was unable to provide proof that it held a broadcasting right to adapt, produce and market this format in France.
M6 is delighted with this decision
The court also considered that the “real similarities” between the two programs were “not such as to characterize with certainty that M6 and Studio 89 (its production subsidiary) deliberately followed in the wake of Coyote while this type of programs were at that time the subject of active monitoring by all the broadcasters”.
“The M6 Group is delighted with this decision, which confirms that the Group has carried out the development and broadcasting of this new successful program completely independently,” he said in a press release. Contacted by AFP, Coyote Conseil was unable to react immediately.