New York Artists Sue NBC's HEROES, Claim 'Striking' Similarities

Reuters reports that two artists are suing NBC Universal and the creators of the net's superhero serial HEROES, claiming their work was unlawfully appropriated for the hit show.

In a suit filed last week, the pair charge that HEROES based a key storyline, about an artist who can paint the future, on a short story, film, and series of paintings they exhibited in 2004-05. The artists' suit claims the character and story of "Isaac Mendez" (portrayed by Santiago Cabrera) is "strikingly similar" to that earlier work.

HEROES, a nighttime serial about a group of ordinary people who discover they have superhero-like abilities, has been credited with helping to boost NBC's ratings this season. The show's stars include Hayden Panettiere (ex-"Lizzie Spaulding," GUIDING LIGHT, ex-"Sarah Roberts," ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Jack Coleman (ex-"Steven Carrington," DYNASTY), Milo Ventimiglia (ex-"Jess Mariano," GILLMORE GIRLS, ex-"Chris Pierce," AMERICAN DREAMS), Adrian Pasdar (ex-"David Bradley," DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, Judging Amy, Profit) and Greg Grunberg (ex-"Sean Blumberg," FELICITY, ex-"Eric Weiss," ALIAS).

In a statement, NBC (a unit of General Electric) said the network believes the suit is without merit, stating "we intend to defend it vigorously and expect to prevail."