The Trivia Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
The Trivia Encyclopedia was first released in the early 1970s. Written by Fred L. Worth, it was the author's own personal collection of trivia. It contains Worth's Law, his own personal creation, which states that something automatically works the minute the repairman arrives.
A best-selling book in its day, The Trivia Encyclopedia was brought back to public consciousness in the 1980s, when author Worth sued the makers of Trivial Pursuit
for copyright infringement. Worth claimed that they had sourced their questions from his books, even to the point of reproducing mis-prints and typographical errors.
The "fact" that the Lieutenant's full name was "Philip Columbo" was planted by Worth in his book (and its sequels) in an attempt to catch out anyone who might try to violate his copyright
. Worth's ploy was, however, only partially successful.
In 1984, he filed a $300 million lawsuit against the distributors of the board game Trivial Pursuit
, claiming that they had stolen their questions from his books. The ace up his sleeve was a Trivial Pursuit reference to the TV character of "Philip Columbo" -- despite the name being an invention of Worth's.
The makers of Trivial Pursuit did not deny that they sourced material from Worth's book, but argued that there was nothing improper about using that book simply as one of the many sources from which the game's material originated. The judge agreed, ruling in favor of Trivial Pursuit and the case was thrown out of court.
However, the misinformation lives on in popular culture. Several sources cite the name "Philip Columbo" as the Columbo character's full name, variously claiming that the name was either in the original script for Prescription: Murder or that it was visible on his police badge. (In fact, close-ups in two episodes of a signature on Columbo's police badge would appear to reveal that his first name is "Frank".) Peugeot
even ran an advertising
campaign that mentioned "Lt. Philip Columbo" as the most famous driver of the Peugeot convertible
.
A best-selling book in its day, The Trivia Encyclopedia was brought back to public consciousness in the 1980s, when author Worth sued the makers of Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which progress is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. The game was created in 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's The Gazette and Scott Abbott, a sports...
for copyright infringement. Worth claimed that they had sourced their questions from his books, even to the point of reproducing mis-prints and typographical errors.
Columbo controversy
Lt. Columbo's first name was never spoken aloud in the TV series Columbo. When pressed, he would insist that it was "Lieutenant".The "fact" that the Lieutenant's full name was "Philip Columbo" was planted by Worth in his book (and its sequels) in an attempt to catch out anyone who might try to violate his copyright
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
. Worth's ploy was, however, only partially successful.
In 1984, he filed a $300 million lawsuit against the distributors of the board game Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which progress is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. The game was created in 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's The Gazette and Scott Abbott, a sports...
, claiming that they had stolen their questions from his books. The ace up his sleeve was a Trivial Pursuit reference to the TV character of "Philip Columbo" -- despite the name being an invention of Worth's.
The makers of Trivial Pursuit did not deny that they sourced material from Worth's book, but argued that there was nothing improper about using that book simply as one of the many sources from which the game's material originated. The judge agreed, ruling in favor of Trivial Pursuit and the case was thrown out of court.
However, the misinformation lives on in popular culture. Several sources cite the name "Philip Columbo" as the Columbo character's full name, variously claiming that the name was either in the original script for Prescription: Murder or that it was visible on his police badge. (In fact, close-ups in two episodes of a signature on Columbo's police badge would appear to reveal that his first name is "Frank".) Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
even ran an advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
campaign that mentioned "Lt. Philip Columbo" as the most famous driver of the Peugeot convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
.