Eckler, Apatow, Knocked Up lawsuit blogging (Completely updated Friday June 8)

Unless there are any startling new developments in the lawsuit of the month, our daily coverage is now over. This is because we want readers to focus on finding previous examples of the work Rebecca Eckler claims is original and to contribute to our crowd-sourcing experiment.


Thanks to alert RTK readers, we have already uncovered two examples of previous use of a Martini glass and pacifier illustration. Melissa of Surburban Bliss says in the comments: "Bad Mother's Club appears to have started using the binky/martini logo in the UK around the same time I did in the US. The owner of Bad Mother's Club and I had a discussion about the situation in February. My logo was created for me by a friend in 2004. I have a trademark on it."

The U.S. edition of Eckler's book using the pacifier/Martini glass theme appeared in 2005. Mr. Google informs us that not only have pastel covers and martini glasses been a staple of chick lit for years but so have articles complaining about their overuse.

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Eckler's suspicions were also triggered by the fact that Knocked Up features a hero who's a Canadian Jewish man, a scenario which she speculates couldn't possibly "add value" so must have been stolen from her. RTK readers completely disagree, however, and have compiled a list of Jewish Canadian Men who deserve to have a movie made about them or to star in a leading role. Candidates so far include Seth Rogen himself, Leonard Cohen and some Bubbie's cardiologist grandson. The finalists are in so go vote.
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On the originality of men feeling awkward in the OB/Gyn doc's office, a number of readers have pointed to Ross in Friends. What with the Rachel and Phoebe pregnancies, this would seem like fertile ground, so to speak, but we need some links and more specifics.

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Reader Jane Doe has injected more controversy into this affair by pointing out another Canadian writer's book, Playing House by Patricia Pearson, which has even been made into a movie of its own. Jane comments that it's about "an underemployed, pot-smoking Canadian guy in New York (who) gets his brand-new girlfriend, an up an coming journalist, pregnant, and they cope ambivalently and uncertainly with getting to know one another as the pregnancy grows? Do I win?"

Well, you're definitely a strong contender.

Update: Pearson gives her version of events and Tearfree speculates on where she got it from.

Update: Scroll down or click here for way more examples all in a pretty pink font. C'mon everyone, get cracking if you want to snatch victory from Jane Doe's grasp.

Update 2: Strong evidence is emerging of major Sex and the City "influences," thanks to astute commenters.

Update 3: Have Eckler's lawyer, Gary Gorham, and his partners lost their heads? This legal site makes a convincing case that they have.

Update 4: And because we are nothing if not open minded, we present the case for the plaintiff.

Update 5: Eckler parodist Nine Gram Brain has found the smoking gun. It's the line at the end where Allison says, "My ass is fat."