In a unanimous opinion, a three-judge panel denied an appeal from Warner Bros. Television, which has argued that the two shows are unrelated.
“There are clear and numerous similarities between ‘The Pitt’ and ‘ER,” the court ruled, citing the emergency room setting, the fast pace, the medical jargon, the graphic depictions of injuries, and a young, incompetent doctor fresh from medical school. “We find the details here suffice for a prima facie case.”
And? Did Crichton write the Pitt? No, because he’s dead. Did they use his characters? No, because his greedy estate (whose very existence makes no sense) wanted too much money.
These legal shenanigans are all part of the commodification of art by capitalist parasites, which is why, for instance, Tolkien’s work still hasn’t entered the public domain, despite being almost a century old.