Lawsuit Filed by Mark Bethea Charges NBC-TV's Hit ``The Apprentice'' Was Ripped Off

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 2004--

After Attempts to Settle Dispute Amicably, Velocity Entertainment Group Forced to Take Legal Action Against Producers Who Have Earned Hundreds of Millions in Revenue on the Show

“Since NBC first announced 'The Apprentice' in Spring of 2003, my client has contacted the show's producers to settle this matter”

Today, the small Los Angeles-based production company, Velocity Entertainment Group, and its chief principal, Mark Bethea, filed a complaint for damages against the producers of the hit NBC show, "The Apprentice", in the United States District Court, Central District Court of California (Case#: CV047690(JFW)PLAX). The complaint contends that executive producer, Mark Burnett of Mark Burnett Productions, Inc. (MBP), and co-executive producer, Conrad Riggs of JMBP, Inc., stole the concept for the show from a legally registered presentation made by Bethea to Riggs in the summer of 2001. The suit seeks damages arising out of a number of legal issues, including copyright infringement, breach of implied-in-fact contract and unfair competition. Additional defendants named in the suit include: NBC Universal, owned by General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Vivendi Universal (NYSE:V); Trump Productions, LLC; and executive producers of the show, Donald Trump and Jay Bienstock.

"My client spent hundreds of hours creating the presentation for a reality-based TV show that he was told by the defendants in 2001 was 'of no interest'," says Ronald W. Makarem, Esq., whose West Los Angeles law firm, Makarem & Associates, is representing the plaintiffs. "Yet in January of 2004, NBC launched 'The Apprentice', which bears so many glaring similarities -- similarities that include not only the concept, but even the use of Mr. Trump in his illustrious role."

In August of 2000, Bethea conceived and developed a reality-TV show entitled "C.E.O.", which had contestants competing against each other in a corporate environment for the ultimate prize of becoming the chief executive officer of an actual corporation. Due to his corporate experience, on-screen presence and credibility, Donald Trump was specifically named to host "C.E.O." Bethea pitched the idea to producers, including Riggs, in June of 2001. During subsequent communications, Riggs informed Bethea that Riggs and Burnett were not interested in producing "C.E.O." In addition, Bethea contends it was understood Riggs would keep the concept for "C.E.O." confidential.

"Since NBC first announced 'The Apprentice' in Spring of 2003, my client has contacted the show's producers to settle this matter," adds Makarem. "These efforts have been met with arrogant disregard for my client and his copyright interests. Thus, we are where we are today."

Gross revenues for the first season of "The Apprentice", which included 15 episodes on NBC, are believed to have exceeded $100 million. The first season of "The Apprentice" on DVD and various other products related to "The Apprentice" are currently being sold domestically and internationally. The gross revenues of "The Apprentice", including the second and third seasons plus commercial products, are expected to be well into the hundreds of millions.