We have prevailed in the defense of copyright claims on behalf of studios, writers and producers. The Copyright Act can also be used as a defense to an exclusive license agreement that is not in writing.
Writers and producers often believe that a motion picture or television series improperly copies their idea, but ideas are not protected under the law. A writer or producer may have an implied contract claim for misappropriation of a script if the claimant can establish that the infringer had access to the script and that there was a confidentiality agreement with the person that accepted the script. Implied contract claims are frequently removed to federal court based on the Copyright Act under the preemption doctrine.
Our Results
We have won copyright cases on behalf of Warner Bros., Miramax, and RKO Pictures.
We won an injunction for the producers of the documentary Waco: The Rules of Engagement.