This definitely wasn’t in the script…
Netflix is being sued by a choose your own adventure brand over their interactive film, Bandersnatch.
Chooseco, a company that specialises in choose your own adventure books for children, has claimed that the streaming giant did not seek permission to allude to their product in the Black Mirror episode.
They also stated that they don’t want the “film’s dark and, at times, disturbing content” to be associated with their brand.
Their complaint, which is now available online, reads:
“On December 28, 2018, Netflix released a much-hyped, and upon information and belief widely viewed interactive film called Black Mirror Bandersnatch on its digital streaming platform. In the first few minutes of the movie, the protagonist refers to a fictional book in the diegesis as a Choose Your Own Adventure book.
“Netflix has no license or authorization to use Chooseco’ s trademark and, upon information and belief, used the mark willfully and intentionally to capitalize on viewers’ nostalgia for the original book series from the 1980s and 1990s. The film’s dark and, at times, disturbing content dilutes the goodwill for and positive associations with Chooseco’ s mark and tarnishes its products.”
The complaint also alleges that Netflix has been trying to license the choose your own adventure trademark since 2016, but that the streaming service did not reach an agreement with Chooseco.
Netflix has yet to address the complaint.
