I can't talk too much about the similarities without getting into spoilers. There are a lot of similarities, and B5 was pitched to Paramount before Warner Brothers.

JMS(the writer for B5) never filed a lawsuit, as it would have damaged both shows more than helped. To my knowledge, DS9 tried never to acknowledge B5.

I'm inclined to think they took some of the basic framework of the idea and ran with it in their own way, making it distinct enough that both stand on their own(though B5 is frankly superior IMO, mostly because DS9 is still a star trek show with a lot of baggage that comes with that).

I can't talk too much about the similarities without getting into spoilers. There are a lot of similarities, and B5 was pitched to Paramount before Warner Brothers.

JMS(the writer for B5) never filed a lawsuit, as it would have damaged both shows more than helped.

I'm inclined to think they took some of the basic framework of the idea and ran with it in their own way, making it distinct enough that both stand on their own(though B5 is frankly superior IMO, mostly because DS9 is still a star trek show with a lot of baggage that comes with that).