Survivor star Gervase Peterson hears verdict in lawsuit against King of Collectibles

CAMDEN — A Survivor star from South Jersey has lost a lawsuit over his proposal for another reality TV show.

Gervase Peterson claimed Ken Goldin, a Runnemede auctioneer known as the King of Collectibles, copied his idea for a show based on the businessman.

But a federal judge dismissed the suit on April 29, finding no legal protection for Peterson's proposal.

The nine-page opinion noted similar defeats for people alleging copyright violations elsewhere for reality shows involving weight loss, a dance competition and marriage to a stranger.

It also cited a loss for a California man whose lawsuit claimed he had the idea for Donald Trump's reality show, “The Apprentice.”

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Peterson, a former Willingboro resident and a fan favorite from Survivor's first season, plans to appeal, said his attorney, Samuel Fineman of Cherry Hill.

In a statement, Goldin said, "We are very gratified that we have been 100 percent vindicated."

He said his show — King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch — "is based on my business, my life, and all the individuals who play a role in making it all possible. "

The Netflix show was recently renewed for a second season, Goldin noted.

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Peterson's lawsuit said he had proposed a reality show, to be called The Goldin Boys, after meeting the auctioneer in 2019.

A script/screenplay and a video "sizzle reel" were created to be reviewed by potential producers.

But the two men stopped having contact in the summer of 2020, and Peterson sued after the Netflix show debuted in May 2023.

O'Hearn's ruling said federal copyright law protects creative expression, but not ideas. It noted another court's decision that "the 'reality' aspect of a show could hardly be considered original or protectable."

As a result, O'Hearn said, "courts routinely dismiss copyright claims alleging that the idea for a reality show is protectable and has been infringed."

She said Peterson's lawsuit wrongly claimed copyright protection for parts of his proposal that are "nothing more than" scènes à faire — "or stock elements typical of the reality show genre."

These included the relationship between Goldin and his second-in-command Dave Amerman and interviews with celebrity athletes.

The lawsuit sought unspecified damages from Goldin and his business, as well as Netflix and other defendants.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Survivor star Gervase Peterson hears verdict in lawsuit against King of Collectibles