philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Amazon Studios Hit With ‘Road House’ Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Involving AI Abuse Claims

The feud is the latest in a series of lawsuits mostly initiated by authors, who are taking advantage of a provision in copyright law that allows authors to reclaim the rights to their works after waiting a period of time, typically 35 years. It has become a massive thorn in the side of studios that face the prospect of losing franchise rights to iconic works from the 1980s. Litigation has ensued over Predator, Terminator and Friday the 13th, among several other titles and properties, with the majority of the suits settling.

According to the complaint, Hill, who goes by the pseudonym David Lee Henry, moved to recover the copyright to his screenplay on Nov. 10, 2021, meaning that he would claw back the rights to his work in two years. He alleges that MGM and Amazon refused to acknowledge the termination and to license his screenplay.

Instead, the studio “steamrolled ahead with the production of a remake of the 1989 Film derived from Hill’s Screenplay,” states the complaint, which notes that the movie was not completed until late January 2024, “well after the effective date of Hill’s statutory termination.”

Hill stresses that he wrote the screenplay “on spec,” meaning that he wrote it on his own volition in the hope of finding an interested buyer. United Artists, which was acquired by MGM, bought it, culminating with the release of the film starring Patrick Swayze in 1989.

see the full story here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/amazon-studios-hit-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-road-house-1235837713/