Duo seek backers to fight fraud and copyright claims

American comedy duo Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett are appealing for money to help them fight a lawsuit brought by broadcasters they pranked.

The pair appeared on local news programmes earlier this year posing as strongmen Chop & Steele, demonstrating ridiculous ‘exercises’ such as crushing baskets under foot – claiming they were making a point about the lack of basic fact-checking on such shows.

They then posted the clips online, but in April the parent company of one of the news stations, Gray Television, filed a lawsuit against them in US federal court, claiming copyright infringement, fraud, and conspiracy.

Prueher and Pickett – who are also behind the Found Footage Festival – are now fighting back with a GoFundMe campaign, seeking $80,000 to help offset their legal fees. 

They said: ‘We’ve secured a great lawyer, Anderson Duff (yes, that's his real name!), who's working well below his rate to take on these corporate bullies who are trying to suppress our First Amendment right to freedom of speech and our right to criticise the press. But even at discount rates, our legal bills are piling up and are expected to reach $100,000 by the end of the trial.

‘We are confident we will win this important First Amendment case but we are suddenly faced with a very real possibility that we'll bankrupt ourselves in the process. In order to continue doing what we do and secure the future of the Found Footage Festival, we need to raise $80,000.’

The Found Footage Festival is a collection of short films found in second-hand shops or boot sales that are then played for a live audience – and will be coming to the Underbelly at next month’s Edinburgh Fringe.

The pair have also pranked news shows by appearing as fake culinary expert Chef Keith and fake yo-yo expert Kenny ‘K-Strass’ Strasser.

Gray Television’s lawsuit says the pair ‘intentionally defrauded the station for the purpose of misappropriating its production resources to advertise the Found Footage Festival brand, merchandise, website, and upcoming live shows’.

The footage also appeared on a DVD the pair sold as part of the Found Footage Festival,  as well as online, which is the basis for the copyright claim.

The company is seeking an undisclosed fee for the ‘irreparable damage’ it says it has suffered.

Here is an awkward Chop & Steele appearance on Good Day Dakota:

Published: 19 Jul 2017