Businessman Claims Yahoo! Stole His Show

MANHATTAN (CN) - A businessman claims in Federal Court that Yahoo! and a Virginia charity stole his idea for a web-based "reality" show.

Steven Faktor accuses Yahoo! and Score, a Herndon, Va.-based 501(c)(3), of fraud, conspiracy, unjust enrichment, misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of faith.

Faktor describes himself as "a former senior innovation executive with American Express Company, Citigroup Inc., and MasterCard," and the author of the book "Econovation: The Red, White and Blue Pill for Arousing Innovation."

Faktor claims he met with representatives of Score, a business mentoring services provider, in the fall of 2011 to pitch "a social-driven web series to help American small businesses."

"Participating businesses would get top-tier help and publicity through a major national media outlet at no cost to them," the complaint states.

Faktor claims he told (nonparty) Score employees Harold Dannenberg and Howard E. Fineman about the idea during separate phone conversations in December 2011.

On Dec. 15, 2011, Faktor says, Fineman told him that Score had rejected the idea, but the company soon partnered with Yahoo! to broadcast a nearly identical series called "Remake America."

"Upon information and belief, Yahoo! later partnered with Score to release 'Remake America' series, which replicates every material element of the concept Faktor pitched to Score," the complaint states.

Yahoo! and Score have released 17 episodes, the most recent of which aired on July 1, Faktor says.

He claims the companies ignored a demand letter that sent on May 29.

He seeks an injunction stopping production of "Remake America" and awarding him the profits from the series.

He is represented by Gabriel Estadella, of Brooklyn.

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