Judge dismisses Saugus woman’s suit against Oprah

SAUGUS – Oprah Winfrey may be giving away millions of dollars on her new show “The Big Give” but none of them are going to Darlene Tracy.The Jefferson Avenue mother of four claims Winfrey’s show about a big giveaway was stolen in a big way from her.In Dec. 2006 Tracy filed a copyright infringement suit against Winfrey, her show, her company Harpo Productions and ABC Television claiming that producers of “Big Give” stole the idea from a pitch she made to the company back in 2005.According to published reports, Tracy pitched an idea for a reality show called “The Philanthropist” to officials at Winfrey’s talk show. After asking for additional information the production company reportedly decided to pass on the show. Flash forward about one year, however, and Tracy hears that Winfrey announced plans for a series eerily similar to her original concept.Representing herself, Tracy filed a civil complaint in Boston’s U.S. District Court aimed at preventing Harpo Productions from airing “Big Give.” A judge dismissed the case as having no merit.After firing herself and hiring a team of lawyers, Tracy has now filed an appeal that reportedly includes documentation to back up her claims that the idea was originally hers.According to published reports, Winfrey’s spokesperson said Harpo Productions agreed with the initial judgment that the case was without merit and hopes to see a similar ruling on the appeal.