Columbo's Fake Name Triggered Lawsuit

American trivia author Fred L. Worth planted a false entry in his books claiming that TV detective Columbo's first name was "Philip," although the series never revealed one in dialogue. When Trivial Pursuit repeated "Philip Columbo," Worth filed a $300 million copyright lawsuit against the game's creators and distributors in 1984. The defendants admitted using Worth's books but argued that facts could not receive copyright protection, and the court dismissed the case. The Ninth Circuit upheld that decision in 1987, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review it in 1988.

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