CNN is facing a potential legal battle after conservative commentator Steven Crowder announced plans to sue the network, digital media company Jubilee and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico over the use of his trademarked “Change My Mind” concept.
Crowder, host of the political program “Louder with Crowder,” made the announcement Thursday, October 15, following a televised town hall event featuring Talarico in Fort Worth, Texas.
The event, held Wednesday and moderated by CNN anchor Erin Burnett, featured Talarico engaging directly with voters on several contentious political issues.
Discussions covered abortion, immigration, energy policy and government corruption, with participants given opportunities to challenge the candidate’s positions.
However, the controversy emerged after CNN and Jubilee used the phrase “Change My Mind” to describe the portion of the event involving direct conversations between Talarico and voters.
Crowder argued that the segment closely resembled his long-running political debate series, which features discussions with members of the public about controversial subjects.
“Well, I guess we should officially announce that we’re suing,” Crowder said during Thursday’s broadcast.
The commentator accused the organizations of benefiting from an idea he popularized through his own program.
“Maybe Jubilee has generated all of their profit off of a completely unoriginal idea, disguised it, and then the mask came off,” he said.
Crowder’s company, LWC IP Assets LLC, owns a federal trademark registration for “CHANGE MY MIND,” which was filed July 1, 2019, and officially registered January 14, 2020.
The registration covers certain entertainment services, including online programs featuring political and comedic commentary.
Crowder’s original series typically involves setting up a table in a public location, often on a college campus, with a sign presenting a controversial position alongside the words “Change My Mind.”
Members of the public are invited to approach the table and debate the stated position.
The format became widely recognizable online, with images from the series circulating across social media and inspiring numerous variations.
According to Crowder, CNN repeatedly used the trademarked phrase during Wednesday’s town hall.
He alleged that the network referenced “Change My Mind” at least 10 times throughout the broadcast, per Trending Politics.
The conservative host said his team intends to examine the extent to which CNN and Jubilee may have benefited financially from using the phrase and format.
“We need to find out who flagrantly disregarded the trademark, who flagrantly plagiarized, who profited off of it most, and for what degree of time,” Crowder said.
He further accused the organizations of using what he considers his intellectual property to advance political messaging.
“Once you rip it off, and you profit, and you use it for propaganda, I now have a problem,” he added.
Although Crowder has announced his intention to pursue legal action, the report did not establish that a lawsuit had already been filed in federal court.
A registered trademark can provide legal protection for particular commercial uses of a phrase, but registration does not automatically prohibit every use of those words or similar discussion formats.
Whether CNN’s and Jubilee’s use constitutes infringement would depend on the circumstances and applicable trademark law.
The dispute comes as Talarico campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas ahead of the November midterm elections.
Crowder has not disclosed the amount of damages he intends to seek.
CNN, Jubilee and Talarico had not provided responses to the allegations in the supplied report.
