Envisioning the next great idea in Hollywood is a precarious endeavor. If writing and conception weren’t hard enough, artists are always faced with the issue that what they created already exists. Whether it is a specific character or idea, the chances are that it has been done before in some way. Movie audiences often cite thateverything released to the masses is a remakein some capacity. In the worst predicaments, accusations of plagiarism are intensified to the point of legislating the issue in court, which is whatSeth MacFarlaneexperienced when he came under fire for allegedly committing copyright infringement in the creation ofTed, resulting in a lawsuit that threatened topostpone the release of the comedy film’s lucrative sequel.
Newlywed couple Ted and Tami-Lynn want to have a baby, but in order to qualify to be a parent, Ted will have to prove he’s a person in a court of law.
‘Ted’ Became a Phenomenon and Seth MacFarlane Became a Household Name in 2012
Off the heels ofFamily Guy, Seth MacFarlane carried over his momentum to the big screen in 2012 with his feature film directorial debut,Ted, a comedy about the titular anthropomorphized teddy bear (MacFarlane), and his lifelong friendship with his owner, John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg). Ted, a washed-up “child star” who lives a hedonist lifestyle, stands in the way of John’s long-term relationship with his romantic partner, Lori (Mila Kunis). An enticing concept, a childhood stuffed animal developing an affinity for cursing, drinking, and promiscuity, won over audiences, as the film grossed a whopping$218 million domestically and half a billion dollars worldwideat the box office. The film was a successful foray into live-action filmmaking for MacFarlane, who managed to carry his expertise in the animation department with the creation of the titular bear through motion capture. The world hadTedfever. Additionally,MacFarlane controversially hosted the Academy Awards immediatelyfollowing its release, with the film even receiving a nomination for Best Original Song. However, all of this goodwill may have stemmed from fraudulence.
Another Vulgar Teddy Bear Character Existed Before ‘Ted’
In 2009, three years beforeTedarrived in theaters, a new character would be introduced to theFunny or Dieuniverse. The comedy website and production company, founded byWill FerrellandAdam McKay, was a formative platform for YouTube and the digital content sphere. With the aid of prominent contributors such asJudd Apatow,James Franco, andZach Galifianakis, online shorts were legitimized against the stiff competition of cable and network comedy. An obscure series of videos, entitled “Charlie the Abusive Teddy Bear,” arrived online with little fanfare. While theseone-minute videoshave a substantially lower production value, most evident by the puppet design of the titular bear, similarities between Charlie and Ted are discernible. Both are inspired by a source of shock value, notably with the juxtaposition of an innocent plush toy being a heavy drinker, smoker, and swearer. Viewers receive what is expected from shorts titled “Charlie Has The Talk” and “Charlie Kills a Hooker.” Overall, the short-lived series is representative of the retrograde, juvenile humor that became synonymous with Internet culture and entertainment.Tedlives on in pop culture,as a prequel series on Peacock is in the works.
As is the natural progression in Hollywood, a film with the seismic impact and financial success ofTedis bound to receive a sequel. Both MacFarlane and Wahlberg reached perhaps the pinnacle of their respective stardom in the aftermath ofTed’s success. There wasan urgency to get a sequel in production. The momentum of the hit comedy transpired withTed 2in 2015, with MacFarlane and Wahlberg reprising their roles as “thunder buddies for life.” Mila Kunis did not return, and the female leading role was given toAmanda Seyfried. Before wrapping all phases of production, Universal, the studio behindTed, was confronted with the sucker punch of a lawsuit. Coincidentally enough, real life mirrored art, as the plot ofTed 2centers on the titular character arguing his case as a person with unequivocal rights in a court of law.
Seth MacFarlane and the ‘Ted’ Team Was Sued for Copyright Infringement
Bengal Mangle Productions, the company behind “Charlie the Abusive Teddy Bear,“sued MacFarlane in 2014for copyright infringement over his character, Ted. The company argued that Ted is “strikingly similar” to Charlie. Bengal Mangle’s complaint, filed to the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles read, “Charlie is a teddy bear who lives in a human, adult world with all human friends. Charlie has a penchant for drinking, smoking, prostitutes, and is a generally vulgar yet humorous character.” Charlie and Ted spend a “significant amount of time sitting on a living room couch with a beer and/or cigarette in hand.” The suit further added that not only was Charlie’s persona, behavior, dialogue, and background as a former washed-up child star duplicated inTed, but their respective social media marketing also mirrored each other. The official “Charlie” Twitter account posted on August 07, 2025: “I have a life mission and it is to drink.” The officialTedpromotional account tweeted on July 29, 2025: “I drink on Tuesday night to celebrate the fact that it ain’t Monday night.”
In March 2015, three months beforeTed 2’s intended release date, Bengal Mangle Productionswithdrew their lawsuit against MacFarlane, Universal, and Media Rights Capital (MRC). The stipulation for dismissal of the suit stated that Bengal Mangle was said to be “satisfied that, based on discovery produced in the action, the character Ted was independently created by Seth MacFarlane using his own efforts and creativity and was not copied from [the] Charlie character.” MRC, the backing studio behindTed, claimed that the lawsuit was without merit, and released a statement that read “For the past ten years, MRC has had a front-row seat to one of the most brilliant artists working today. Seth’s unfiltered and genius imaginationbrings life to everything he touches.”
Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Family Guy’ Is Routinely Controversial
Seth MacFarlanenever made a public comment about the lawsuit, which named him and Universal Pictures as the defendants. Throughout his three-decade career, MacFarlane has never shied away from controversy, with many dust-ups about his offensive material onFamily Guycausing legal action from outside parties. The animated FOX series has been afrequent target of the Parents Television Council (PTC), a non-profit watchdog group. They have previously called for the show’s cancelation for its crude and indecent content infringing upon Christian values. If there is an offensive joke in the air,Family Guyis sure to capitalize on it. MacFarlane was regularly in hot water over insensitive jokes regarding homophobia, transphobia, sexual violence, mental disabilities, and historical tragedy.
Copyright infringement is a tough case to win for plaintiffs, as meeting the burden of proof is an intricate challenge. Still, MacFarlane’sTedlawsuit was not the first instance of the actor-writer facing legal action. In 2007, Bourne Co. Music Publishers sued FOX and theFamily Guycreatorover a parody remix of their song, “When You Wish Upon a Star” fromPinocchio. The judgeruled in favor of the animated series. MacFarlane was also accused of copyright infringement by actorArt Metrano, who filed a lawsuit over an episode that depicted his signature magic parody act,leading to an extended legal battle. The cumbersome nature of winning copyright lawsuits is a testament to the dog-eat-dog reality of Hollywood and the entertainment industry. For all anyone knows, MacFarlane watched “Charlie the Abusive Bear” and inexplicably sampled elements from the series forTed. As for both the United States judicial statement and the public at large, the profane and hedonist teddy bear character will always be attributed to Seth MacFarlane.
Ted 2is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
