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Celebrity Justice6/15/2010 8:25 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
Ex-Hells Angel: 'Sons of Anarchy' Was MY Idea!

A motorcycle war has broken out over the hit FX show "Sons of Anarchy" -- because the former NYC chapter head of the "Hells Angels" claims the network jacked his idea and screwed him out of millions.

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TMZ has obtained a lawsuit filed by Chuck Zito -- in which the bike gang member-turned-actor claims he developed an idea for a show about an "outlaw motorcycle club" back in 1998 and pitched it to FX in 2004.

In the docs, Zito claims he entered into an "implied-in-fact contract" with FX which guaranteed if they used his ideas for a TV show, Zito would be "reasonably compensated and afforded appropriate screen credits." Zito claims FX eventually passed on the project.

So when FX began developing "Sons of Anarchy" in 2006 -- Zito was pissed ... claiming "Sons" was "substantially similar" to his motorcycle show idea.

Now, Zito claims FX is obligated to pay him more than $5,000,000 for breaking the "implied-in-fact" contract.

FX had no comment on the lawsuit.

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Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 10) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments
1.

dan the man:  608 days ago

FIRST...



sounds like a legit lawsuit if a contracts involved..

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2.

Joe:  608 days ago

WOW, a show about an outlaw motorcycle gang--the similarities are astounding!



Never thought I'd tell a Hell's Angel to stop crying.

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3.

get a life ho:  608 days ago

Welcome to Hollywood where scripts and ideas are stolen everyday !



This is no secret in this industry ,
Why pay someone that pitched an idea ( or script ) when you can simply steal it and worry about it later if it's a hit .



Just ask Art Buchwald,.,.,.,

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4.

Fred Farkel:  608 days ago


The lawsuit is the least of their worries.

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5.

AQ:  608 days ago

Sadly it's true scripts and ideas are stolen all the time. I have two out there right now that I registered with the Writer's Guild but even that doesn't guarantee I'd have a case if one of my ideas mysteriously showed up on TV in a few years without my knowledge.



It sucks but unless you have your own production co. and network there's not a whole lot you can do - and even having those wouldn't guarantee anything!! :)

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6.

east bay head:  608 days ago

chuck zito is a bitch. he was, WAS a biker. his chapter was bull****, he dosent even ride. I grew up with bikers and 1%ers, they afforded me my living. real bikers wear the leather out off there seats... this guy just wants to be known as a tuff guy... total joke, heresa clue, the guys with tuff guy ta2s are the ones trying to prove there tuff... the guys without em, there the real savages.
zito as always just wants to be the romanticised bike of hollywood loar... washed up and zero cred as a biker.. so, zito, congrats on van damn, that was your one thing... now just fade the fug back. only people who associate wwith the joke, are the same as him, they really really want you to know there bad... so was MJ now fug off.

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7.

east bay head:  608 days ago

fred farkel... um let me guess, you are one of those im tuff guys... STfug up, gangsters dont bark, my guy.... you my friend are a chiwowa... find a red and white to ride with zito... and bing you find the rolex riders, wishing they were something and paying for the look.. haha cute...

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8.

louise14:  608 days ago

Is this the same dude that was shown on Real Housewives of NJ when prostitution whore danielle showed up with a Hells Angel who's leather looked brand new? She said he was the head of a chapter?
And why would he want to be photographed if he is deep in the MC.
Im just saying

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9.

DC:  608 days ago

what a douche. yeah, because motorcycle gangs are sooooo original, lol.

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10.

east bay head:  608 days ago

it is and he is NOT AFFILIATED with angels anymore or rather they refuse to affiliate w him... he has not been a chapter prez for even, nor is he even a member... hes nothing but a joke...disowner by his "family" never became the stalone he so desperatly belived he was destined to become... wake up zito, no one belives you, no one is scared of you, and you will never amount to chit.. got a ta2 idea for you "this is as far as i will ever go in life" right across the forhead in mirror image, so every morning you are reminded to SIT the Fug Down.

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11.

MotoChris:  608 days ago

"Real Bikers" hahahaha. Let me tell you what a REAL biker is. A REAL biker is someone like myself who rides 20,000+ miles a year. A REAL biker can tear down and rebuild his engine. A REAL biker knows motorcycle history, like the '28 B Single i'm rebuilsing that was designed by my boy Bill Harley. I don't need no 1% outlaw club to tell me who's a REAL biker. And I give motorcyclists a GOOD name. The Hell's Angels and Harley Davidson's team of lawyers taught Chuck Zito everything he ever wanted to know about lawsuits. Makes me sick to my stomach.
Later much,
MC

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12.

Bikewriter:  608 days ago

Sounds a lot like when Dr. Thompson published his work about the Angels and they stomped him & demanded payment.

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13.

east bay head:  608 days ago

moto chris,
i did not say i was a 1% tho i was a club painter. you reiterated my point about wearing out the leather in your seat. (double your milege and youll get there) 20k is not a daily rider, weekend warrior comes to mind, or lonely and no where to go????.
my point was this fug head was a total joke. i was explaining what it means to be a "rider" to the lay person and discreaditing him from claimin to be one.
ps spinning wrench means nothing, and your wrong about HD and HA teaching zito about lawsuites... it was AMC that disgraced the HD name, and it will never recover. faith ive been deep in industry from 96. i was also Ness's inhouse fab and paint guy for years, and actually held the san leandro shop when they moved to plesington... so please digress and realise you to sound like a moron. best and bless...

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14.

John:  608 days ago

Check out Kurts blog and stuff this guy is full of poop. Kurt Sutter is on facebook and has a blog laughing at this fool and the other guy who claims he is the real life jax .



Fact is Sutter ran with a club up here in Nor Cal where I am from. The idea is 100% sutters and its not the same as everyones elses.



Really its more a rip of shield and sapranos than zito's life or any of his ideas...

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15.

ahtx:  608 days ago

What took him so long...was he waiting to see if the show would be a hit??

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