A legal dispute between Fleetwood Mac producer Ken Caillat and the creators of the hit Broadway play Stereophonic has been resolved, according to a Tuesday filing in a New York federal court. The lawsuit, which was originally filed in October, accused the makers of Stereophonic of copying significant portions of Caillat’s memoir, Making Rumours, which details the behind-the-scenes story of the iconic band’s 1977 album Rumours.
In a joint filing, both parties confirmed they had “resolved the dispute in principle” and were now finalizing a settlement. While spokespeople and legal representatives for both sides did not immediately respond to requests for further details, the resolution marks the end of a high-profile legal battle that had drawn attention due to the success of Stereophonic and its similarities to Caillat’s book.
Caillat, along with co-author Steven Stiefel, filed the lawsuit alleging that Stereophonic—which opened on Broadway in April and won five Tony Awards, including Best Play—”copies the heart and soul” of their memoir. Both the book and the play depict the experience of a young sound engineer working with a British-American rock band during the recording of Rumours in California between 1976 and 1977. The lawsuit claimed that Stereophonic mirrored key aspects of their memoir, including settings, characters, and dialogue.
The lawsuit also highlighted that the play’s success, with Stereophonic reportedly grossing over $20 million since its Broadway debut, interfered with Caillat’s own plans to produce a film based on Making Rumours. Additionally, Caillat and Stiefel argued that the play’s storyline had encroached upon their intellectual property, as it too focused on the experiences of a sound engineer within the same context.
Written by David Adjmi, Stereophonic follows a similar narrative arc, focusing on the dynamics of a mixed-gender rock band during the tumultuous recording process of their album. While the creators of Stereophonic did not respond directly to the allegations in court, the legal team representing Caillat and Stiefel has now agreed to resolve the matter outside of trial.
The case is Caillat v. Adjmi, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 1:24-cv-07417. Legal representation for Caillat and Stiefel is provided by Alan Greenberg of Greenberg Gross, and for Adjmi by Frank D’Angelo of Loeb & Loeb.
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