A Lifetime of Stolen Artwork - "Kung Fu Panda" Lawsuit

An artist says his works were stolen
Hollywood studios are sued left and right for stealing ideas to create films and TV shows. These copyright-infringement lawsuits nearly always are dismissed before they ever get to trial thanks to the high bar in demonstrating "substantial similarity" between works.

But one plaintiff actually might get to trial.
Late last week, a federal judge denied a summary judgment motion made by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures over an artist's claim of having his work taken for the 2008 hit film Kung Fu Panda, which grossed more than $630 million worldwide.

Read the full ruling here... http://www.scribd.com/doc/133676805/Panda

The judge's decision potentially sets the stage for an uncommon occurrence in Hollywood: a trial concerning a major studio in which a jury would determine whether the plaintiff's work was stolen or the studio independently created its hit film.

Gordon brought the lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court in February 2011 and is looking for statutory damages and any profits obtained from allegedly wrongful acts.

According to his (amended complaint... http://www.scribd.com/doc/133676995/panda2 , Gordon has spent much of his lifetime creating characters and storylines including the "Kung Fu Panda property," which he says was developed in the 1990s. He says his work featured "a Kung Fu fighting giant panda who likes to eat; his companion, a rare small red panda who also is a Kung Fu fighter; and a Kung Fu fighting super group known as the “Five Fists of Fury” that consists of a tiger, crane, mantis, monkey and a venomless snake."

The plaintiff said he registered the work with the Copyright Office in 2000.

Read More... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/judge-delivers-setback-dreamworks-kung-432380