Waukegan Native Files Suit Over Poem

A former Waukegan resident who is a published poet has filed a copyright infringement suit against CBS for a poem she says was used without her permission in a “Criminal Minds” episode, the Chicago SunTimes reported.

“Susan Lynn Kugler wrote the poem “Mask” in December 2007, later publishing it online and releasing it with a collection of her work called “Poetry in Emotion,” according to the copyright infringement suit filed Friday in U.S. District Court,” The SunTimes reported.

Kugler’s suit claims her poem was copied and adapted into lyrics for the opening theme a May 2010 episode of “Criminal Minds.” The fifth-season finale, entitled “Our Darkest Hour,” is about a serial killer who targets victims during rolling blackouts caused by a heat wave, according to a CBS synopsis, the SunTimes reported.

The three-count suit against CBS Studios and distributors Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment seeks at least $175,000 plus court costs, the SunTimes reported.