How do you put a price on a punchline? We may get an idea if a case against Conan O’Brien makes its way through the courts. The comedian has been charged with copyright infringement by a writer who said he plagiarized punchlines about Caitlyn Jenner, Tom Brady, and the Washington Monument, according to a report from the Associated Press. The judge in the case refused to dismiss the case, so we may get to glean some insight into the value of laughter.

While this case involves comedy, it’s a serious matter. Years ago, a once-famous comedy film writer/director committed suicide after being hounded by charges of improperly reusing gags from films he had worked on in his heyday.