Pepperdine University is suing Netflix and Warner Bros. The university believes its new series unfairly represents its NCAA basketball team.
Mindy Kaling ”Running Point”
February 24, 2025- As outlined in Forbes, ”Running Point” is a new comedy series from writer and producer Mindy Kaling. The series follows a fictional party girl, played by Kate Hudson, who inherits her family’s NBA team. However, Pepperdine University is suing the show’s production company ( Warner Bros) and its distribution company (Netflix) for trademark infringement.
”Running Point” Suing University
According to the university, the series features a sports team that strongly resembles its basketball team. Hence, Pepperdine University is accusing the two companies of deliberately making the two teams similar, and the association between the sports teams may impact the school’s public image.
“Running Point’s portrayal of the “Waves” team will cause consumer confusion and falsely suggest an affiliation between Pepperdine and the show,” said the university in a recent press release.
Pepperdine University Sports
According to Forbes, both teams share the same team colors and names. Additionally, the fictional team’s logo has ”a striking resemblance in branding to Pepperdine’s longstanding and well-known Waves athletics program.”
Pepperdine also has “deep concerns about some of the series’ themes, which include explicit content, substance use, nudity, and profanity—elements that are inconsistent with Pepperdine’s Christian values and reputation.”
The educational institution claims that they have attempted to come to a peaceful solution with both Netflix and Warner Bros before the lawsuit. However, the university states that both companies “have refused to take any remediating action.”
Mindy Kaling Shows
Mindy Kaling has not commented on the lawsuit despite being heavily involved in the show’s creation. The former ”The Office” cast member has recently been honored with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Published by HOLR Magazine
Image Credit: @mindykaling Instagram