The British producers of the ABC television show "Wife Swap" have filed suit over the Fox show "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy," lambasting it as an illegal rip-off.

RDF Media asked a federal court Wednesday for more than $18 million in damages plus all "gains, profits and advantages" derived from the Fox show. The suit targets Fox Broadcasting and the show's producers.

The lawsuit claims the show, produced by Rocket Science Laboratories, "more aptly might be entitled 'Trading Copyrights' or perhaps 'Copyright Swap,'" and it calls the Fox series "a blatant and wholesale copycat" of "Wife Swap."

Fox spokesman Scott Grogan said the network had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

"Wife Swap" first aired in Britain in 2003, where it was a hit. ABC bought the U.S. rights and announced its plans to air its own version, titled "Trading Moms."

In June, Fox announced plans to air its own version of the show with the title "Trading Spouses." Its show was widely criticized in the press as a copycat version of the planned ABC show.

ABC later changed the name of its program to avoid confusion with the Fox version, which aired first.

ABC is not a party in the lawsuit but said in a statement: "We respect our producing partner's right to protect their intellectual property in whatever manner they deem most appropriate."

Earlier this year, producers of NBC's upcoming "The Contender" asked a judge to force Fox to edit allegedly unlawful bouts out of "The Next Great Champ" before it airs.

The producers claimed that "The Next Great Champ" was produced on a "rushed and frenzied basis" to beat NBC's series to the air and violated state boxing regulations.

Their attempt to keep the Fox show off the air was unsuccessful, although the series was a flop. NBC's "The Contender" begins airing in February. (Gary Gentile, Associated Press)

CHANNEL SURFING

"True Dads with Bruce Willis" (9 tonight, Spike TV) features the stories of real-life fathers and sons, including University of Pittsburgh administrator Jack Daniel and his son, Omari, who wrote about their sometimes volatile relationship in the 2003 book "We Fish: The Journey to Fatherhood." ... Patrick Talent Agency, which operates offices in Toluca Lake, Calif., Las Vegas and Connellsville, has negotiated contracts for six new Shop NBC hosts, including two with ties to Pittsburgh. Katina Forte, former WPXI traffic reporter, left Pittsburgh for QVC and now joins Shop NBC. Indiana native Connie Kunkle also has a new contract with Shop NBC. ... This week CBS renewed "Survivor" for the 11th and 12th editions through the 2005-06 TV season. (Rob Owen, Post-Gazette)

NO FINES FOR 'RYAN'?

The Federal Communications Commission's normally fine-happy chief is urging that the regulatory group show restraint when it comes to ABC's recent screening of the Oscar-winning war drama "Saving Private Ryan."

According to media reports, FCC chairman Michael Powell will recommend that no fines be levied against the ABC stations that aired "Ryan" as part of a Veterans Day tribute last month. Powell must now take his opinion to the four other FCC commissioners, needing only two other votes for his plan to carry.

A number of conservative family organizations targeted ABC's Nov. 11 screening, saying that Steven Spielberg's World War II epic featured levels of language and violence inappropriate for prime time. At least 66 ABC affiliates, including Pittsburgh's WTAE, refused to show the movie, which Spielberg and ABC mandated must be shown uncut, fearing FCC reprisals.

Powell determined that the FCC shouldn't take action against the 159 ABC stations that did air the movie because the language and violence in "Saving Private Ryan" were part of an accurate representation of the events depicted in the movie. (Zap2it.com)