The great podcast robbery? Sony and Spotify accused of stealing shows

The media giants have allegedly released new' podcasts mirroring those made by the likes of Gizzi Erskine and Pandora Sykes. So why is it so hard to make a case against them?

Claims of intellectual property theft have long been a contentious issue within the world of podcasting. It's a podcast wild west out there - an expansive, creative landscape with concepts seemingly being borrowed, adapted and pillaged. In the last couple of weeks alone, two David v Goliath pod battles have again raised the question: why does it seem so easy to get away with stealing podcast ideas?

Award-winning food writer Gizzi Erskine, 43, and Sydney Lima, 29, are the co-creators and hosts of the hit Spotify Original podcast Sex, Lies & DM Slides, which launched in 2020. The pair are now accusing Spotify of daylight robbery" and claim that they have been unceremoniously ousted from their podcast, after it has been rebranded and relaunched with 22-year-old influencers Saffron Barker and Anastasia Kingsnorth as replacement hosts.