THE OC - THE O.C. CREATOR CHARGED WITH STEALING HIS IDEAS

Cult new teen soap THE O.C. is at the centre of a plagiarism row in America after college pals of the series' creator charged him of stealing their ideas.

Writer JOSH SCWARTZ's UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA fraternity friends insist his idea for the show was actually a joint effort.

Schwartz has confessed that his college days at USC served as his inspiration for the show, but the idea, he insists, was all his.

Now two of Schwartz's former friends from USC, SCOTT DONNELLY and ERIC LINDSAY, are claiming he stole the idea for the show from them.

Their suit claims The O.C. is based on a treatment they wrote for a TV series called THE POINTES (corr).

The plaintiff claims they gave Schwartz a copy of the show idea and he took it over.