November 9, 2018

Will Netflix have a Devil of a Time Defending Suit Brought by Satanic Temple?

The Satanic Temple sued Netflix for using a computer-generated image of Baphomet in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina that was apparently copied directly from a statue created for The Satanic Temple by sculptor Mark Porter.

For the unfamiliar, Baphomet is a goat-headed deity. More importantly, perhaps, the Baphomet statue in question is protected by a copyright.

baphomet | Intellectual Property Law Firm | Harness IP

While the images of Baphomet are similar, the similarities can be attributed to a drawing of Baphomet by a 19th-century French occultist named Eliphas Levi. Mark Potter, however, added the distinctive detail of two adoring children (seen in the image on the top), a feature that also appears in Netflix’s version (as seen in the bottom image).

According to Rolling Stone, The Satanic Temple previously sent a cease and desist letter to both Netflix and Warner Bros. that demanded action by November 9, 2018, but then jumped the gun and filed suit on the 8th.

It begs the question: in matters of copyright suits and cease and desist letters, who really trusts Satan?