As The Walking Dead continues its domination over most other TV shows, the availability of spoilery information about the zombie drama has become easier to come across, which isn't making anyone happy at AMC. The network has lashed out against the website Spoiling Dead Fans in the past over such info, and its latest leak-squashing maneuver reportedly involves the threat of a lawsuit if the site offers up any guesses or predictions on who Negan's victim was in the Season 6 finale. Harsh. Here's how one Spoiling Dead admin explained it.
After two years, AMC finally reached out to us! But it wasn't a request not to post any info about the Lucille Victim or any type of friendly attempt at compromise, it was a cease and desist and a threat of a lawsuit by AMC Holdings, LLC's attorney, Dennis Wilson. They say we can't make any type of prediction about the Lucille Victim. Their stance is that making such a prediction would be considered copyright infringement. AMC tells us that we made some claim somewhere that says we received "copyright protected, trade secret information about the most critical plot information in the unreleased next season of The Walking Dead and that we announced we were going to disclose this protected information. We still aren't sure where we supposedly made this claim because they did not identify where it was.
AMC's interest (or disinterest, as it were) in Spoiling Dead Fans has been ongoing, as the site gained major ground for delivering correct spoiler info throughout the run of The Walking Dead Season 6. It seemed likely that more game-planning would have been happening behind closed doors at AMC in the weeks following the highly polarizing cliffhanger, and it's almost surprising that lawyers and tigers and bears haven't been brought out before now. I guess the network just needed to find some solid ground to stand on before bringing out the big guns to keep Season 7 as untainted as possible. At least in regards to this big mystery.
I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to assume that Rick's face here is AMC and that walker's face is Spoiling Dead Fans.
Now, even though the Spoiling Dead admin says they never made the claim that AMC's threat is based on, to argue this point on a grand scale would mean going to court over the issue, and that would require funding that a non-profiting website just can't put together if it can be avoided. And so because of this, as well as an urge to get AMC off of their back in other ways, Spoiling Dead is complying with the network's wishes. Here are some of those other ways, according to the admin's message.
Please respect our decision not to put our livelihoods at risk. AMC has been harassing us for four days now by contacting our homes, our family members and our employers; even posting on this page and personal social media accounts.
The Walking Dead is definitely important enough for AMC to want to keep it as sacred and secret as possible - the recent news that episodes are being filmed out of order is another idea being used - even if that means bringing out the legal team for some intimidation tactics. So if you happen to hear about who it was that Negan killed, don't expect to get it confirmed by these guys; you might just have to wait for the Season 7 premiere in October for the best proof.
