A case in point:
‘Avatar’ Idea Theft Suit Rejected by Appellate Court
April 15, 2015 | 03:23PM PT
Ted Johnson
Senior Editor @tedstew
A federal appeals court rejected an artist’s claim that the plot of “Avatar”
was stolen from an idea he pitched to writer-director James Cameron.
The appellate court panel sided 2-1 with Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment
in their contention that “Avatar” was an independent creation, with the
director drawing upon produced and unproduced projects from the 1970s and ’80s
that pre-dated the time he met artist Gerald Morawski in 1991.
The decision upholds a 2013 ruling from U.S. District Judge Margaret Morrow,
who found that although Morawski’s project pitch — called “Guardians of Eden” —
bore similarities to “Avatar,” she was convinced by Cameron’s 45-page
declaration that showed how “Avatar” was his own idea.
The appeals court noted that Cameron “presented detailed and copious evidence
of independent creation. Under California law, if a defendant presents ‘clear’
and ‘positive’ evidence of independent creation, any inference of use of
another’s work arising from access and substantial similarity is dispelled, and
a plaintiff may no longer solely rely on that inference to establish improper
use.”
Judge Morgan Christen dissented, concluding that the case still had contested
issues of fact that warranted going forward with the case.
Jon Landau, Cameron’s producing partner, said in a statement, “While it is
unfortunate that a myriad of fortune-hunting plaintiffs seek to take credit for
the success of our film, we are grateful that the courts have consistently seen
through these grossly meritless claims.”
From: "Michael Jackson [email protected] [FairfieldLife]"
<[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 3:53 PM
Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Whedon
Lawsuits of this type are legion in Hollywood - difficult to prove, but
when they can prove the allegations, the defendants pay through the nose. Don't
be too sure that Whedon didn't see the book. Even the big shots in Hollywood
are not above deliberate plagiarism. Happens all the time. Time and this
lawsuit will tell.
From: "Bhairitu [email protected] [FairfieldLife]"
<[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 2:56 PM
Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Whedon
I highly doubt that Whedon ever saw this guys book. He wouldn't need to
steal anything. There are lots of folks out there who had similar ideas and
believe they can sue for it. It gets really bad in music and I can bet you if
you could search through old folk tunes in the public domain you would find a
similar melody to a tune being sued over.
Our copyright laws are ridiculous. Disney wanted to soak the public for
centuries so their sharks got the DMCA passed with the help of the late scumbag
Sonny Bono.
On 04/15/2015 10:55 AM, Michael Jackson [email protected] [FairfieldLife]
wrote:
Joss Whedon in the cross hairs!
Joss Whedon, Lionsgate Targeted in $10 Million 'Cabin in the Woods' Lawsuit
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| Joss Whedon, Lionsgate Targeted in $10 Million 'Cabin in... The 'Avengers'
director is the target of a major lawsuit over his horror hit. |
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