‘The Big Bang Theory’ faces lawsuit over lyrics to ‘Soft Kitty’

ALSTEAD, N.H., Dec. 31 (UPI) — Two daughters from New Hampshire are claiming the The Big Bang Theory have stolen the lyrics to their mother’s poem “Soft Kitty.”

Ellen Newlin Chase and Margaret Chase Perry filed the lawsuit against producers of the show, CBS and Warner Bros. on Tuesday claiming that the poem originally written by their mother Edith Newlin in the 1930s has been used repeatedly without their permission.

The nursery rhyme which has become a staple on the show as Sheldon Cooper’s (Jim Parsons) favorite nighttime lullaby, has according to the lawsuit, also appeared on merchandise for the show including t-shirts, air fresheners and even a “Soft Kitty” contest that asked fans to record videos of themselves singing the song.

“The Soft Kitty Lyrics are among the best-known and most popular aspects of The Big Bang Theory,” the lawsuit says. “They have become a signature and emblematic feature of the show and a central part of the show’s promotion.”

First appearing in a published book entitled Songs for the Nursery School, Warner Bros. sought permission from Willis Music Co., a Kentucky-based company that had published the book to use the poem without first getting permission from Mrs. Newlin’s heirs who own the copyright according to the claim.

Newlin’s daughters are seeking unspecified “remedies for willful copyright infringement.”