Meriland Keith Dillard v. CBS Studios, Inc.

**Plaintiff:** Meriland Keith Dillard, pro se, residing in Lake Forest, CA 92630 **Defendant:** CBS Studios, Inc., a California corporation headquartered at 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604 **Core allegation:** Dillard claims CBS's upcoming television series *DMV* (premiering October 13, 2025) infringes his original TV pilot script *Department of Labor* by copying protectable expression including character dynamics, comedic structure, and scene arrangement. He alleges CBS had access to his work through industry circulation to over 67 professionals, including 20+ in Los Angeles. **Asserted IP:** - TV pilot script *Department of Labor* — WGAW Registration No. 1484205 (registered February 1, 2011) - U.S. Copyright Office Registration No. PAu 4-274-958 (approved September 4, 2025) **Relief sought:** Injunction blocking *DMV*'s broadcast, statutory damages, disgorgement of profits, full accounting, restitution, and declaratory judgment of sole authorship **Why it matters:** Filed one month before the target series' premiere, this case tests whether broad industry script circulation plus structural/character similarities suffices to establish access and copying under Ninth Circuit precedent ahead of a network television launch.