'SNL' accused of copyright infringement

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Stashwax, the new 24-hour Internet comedy channel, has accused the hit U.S. TV series "Saturday Night Live" of copyright infringement.

Stashwax said that a recent "SNL" sketch parodying actor Mel Gibson and his film "Apocalypto" has caused the online group to file a cease and desist order against the long-running NBC TV series.

Stashwax maintains the comedy sketch, entitled "SNL Apocalypto Re-Cut," strongly resembles a sketch that it placed on YouTube.com last August and therefore represents copyright infringement.

Key among the similarities between the two sketches is similar concepts and near identical punch lines.

While the first legal step taken by Stashwax against the NBC show revealed the situation is not a laughing matter, Stashwax President Lloyd Grenache could not help turning it into one.

"Stay off our gags Michaels," he said in a release, referring to "SNL" exec Lorne Michaels. "Gibson is our Anti-Semite -- go find your own."