James Cameron comes out on top in new 'Avatar' copyright infringement claim

Ever since James Cameron's 3D science-fiction film "Avatar" released in December 2009, quickly shooting to the top of every box office record on the planet, there has been no shortage of authors, artists, filmmakers and countless others who have accused the director of stealing their ideas for his film. And while critics may not have shied away from lambasting the film's not-so-original plot either, the courts have consistently ruled in favor of Cameron. A recent copyright infringement claim filed by artist William Roger Dean ended no differently.

According to The Hollywood Report, Dean had accused Cameron of taking design elements and ideas from 14 of his paintings and using them as the basis for the planet Pandora and many of the alien creatures seen in "Avatar." As part of the litigation, Dean sought damages from Cameron, his production company Lightstorm Entertainment and distributor 20th Century Fox. But when the case reached the New York U.S. District Court on Wednesday, September 17, Judge Jesse Furman tossed it out over a lack of substantial evidence.

"Furman called several of Dean's claims 'misguided,' noting that as evidence, the artist included images from 'books about or derived from Avatar' rather than the film," writes the news publication. "The judge also noted that images from the film were cropped, rotated and otherwise taken 'out of context' in an attempt to make them look similar to Dean's paintings, which were in turn also manipulated by the artist."

It's imperative that businesses both large and small equip themselves with adequate legal protection with regard to intellectual property, whether it's defending against claims of copyright infringement or taking action against IP thieves.

Categorised in: Entertainment Law

This post was written by