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US comedian and chat show host JAY LENO isn't laughing about a new joke book series after discovering it features many of his own gags.
The host of America's THE TONIGHT SHOW is suing author JUDY BROWN and her publishers, claiming she has plagiarised from his stand-up routines.
And he isn't alone - other comics, including RITA RUDNER and JIMMY BROGAN are also seeking unspecified damages and a permanent injunction against Brown's 19 books.
In the lawsuit, lawyers for Leno and TV network NBC claim, "Her (Brown) books credit the comedians who wrote the jokes, which only serves to make the copyright violations more egregious.
"The books sell precisely because they include jokes by famous comedians.
"Ms. Brown has even sent representatives to comedy clubs to record comedians' routines, so she can then copy the jokes into her books and profit from the original comedic works of others." (KL/WNWC/SC)
(c) 2006 World Entertainment News Network
