Netflix faces lawsuit over 'Black Mirror' and 'Choose Your Own Adventure'

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is on the receiving end of a lawsuit from the owners of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.

Chooseco, LLC trademarked "Choose Your Own Adventure" in the 1980s and has sold hundreds of millions of books using the branding ever since. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chooseco reported that Netflix sought to acquire this trademark but was never granted the license.

Per an excerpt of the official complaint, via THR:

Chooseco and Netflix engaged in extensive negotiations that were ongoing for a number of years, but Netflix did not receive a license...On at least one occasion before the release of Bandersnatch, Chooseco sent a written cease and desist request to Netflix asking Netflix to stop using the CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE mark in connection with its marketing efforts for another television program.

Indeed, the phrase "choose your own adventure" has been almost inextricably linked to Bandersnatch, either through Netflix's own efforts or the mark's ubiquity as established by Chooseco. The company has filed for at least $25 million for "infringement, dilution, and unfair competition" and demands that Netflix remove any "choose your own adventure" references relating to Bandersnatch. Chooseco wants to be distanced from the darkness and morbidity of Black Mirror (honestly, so do we).

Mashable has reached out to Netflix for further comment.