29/09/2026
Ordinarily, we would welcome any new Israeli production, particularly one attracting international interest. In this case, however, we find it difficult to do so.
Recently, media outlets have reported extensively on a new series starring Noa Kirel and produced by Yair Dori, Sipur, and others.
A significant lawsuit concerning the series and its producers, brought by Screenwriters Guild member Rotem Carmeli, is pending. In her statement of claim, Carmeli makes serious allegations concerning what she says was the use of an original work of hers, a detailed synopsis, and a screenplay she wrote.
In her statement of claim, Carmeli alleges that the defendants “knowingly and deliberately misappropriated the plaintiff’s original work and seriously and flagrantly infringed her proprietary rights.” These are Carmeli’s allegations in pending legal proceedings; they have not yet been adjudicated.
If these allegations are proven, the conduct at issue would be extremely serious and would have no place in an industry that respects its creators. Using a person’s work without their consent and depriving them of the fruits of their labor would cross a red line, harming not only an individual creator but also the foundations on which Israeli creative work as a whole rests.
Meanwhile, the legal proceedings continue, and the series is moving toward broadcast by major broadcasters. This disparity concerns us: legal proceedings can take a long time, while production, distribution, and broadcast move at an entirely different pace. As a result, a creator’s rights may not be determined until after a work has already been produced, broadcast, and distributed.
The Screenwriters Guild unequivocally supports Rotem Carmeli as she pursues her legal case and will stand by her as her rights are examined. We will not allow Israeli creative work to be treated as fair game, nor will we accept a situation in which screenwriters are left to face more powerful organizations alone in disputes over their work.
We will continue to stand alongside Guild members, using the means available to us until the legal process has run its course. This may include considering outreach to screenwriters’ and creators’ guilds around the world and drawing on the mechanisms of professional solidarity between us.
This is one of the Screenwriters Guild’s central roles: to stand behind creators who say their intellectual property rights have been infringed and to help them assert their rights.
We call on production companies and broadcasters in Israel and around the world to exercise particular care in respecting the rights of television and film creators at every stage of development, production, and broadcast. Respecting copyright is not a favor to creators—it is a prerequisite for a fair and healthy creative industry.
Do you feel that your rights have been infringed, or that you need professional and legal support? Do not face it alone. Contact us.
Rotem Carmeli
