ankit
07-10-05, 09:36 PM
Terminator 2 director, Cameron to be sued by Australian couple
An Australian couple is suing Oscar winning director James Cameron, for allegedly stealing their concept for a shape-shifting creature that eventually evolved into the character the in the 1991 blockbuster "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
Filia and Constantinos Kourtis claim to have dreamed up the character in 1987 for a film project titled The Minotaur, which followed a half-man, half-bull from Greek myth that had the ability to magically morph into various forms.
The Kourtises hired screenwriter William Green to write a screenplay, a copy of which they say ended up in the hands of Cameron, who in turn used the idea for the sequel to his 1984 sci-fi hit The Terminator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the killer T-1000 cybog.
The pair's attempt to file suit against Cameron was initially snubbed by a Los Angeles district court as their screenwriter William Green had previously lost the same case.
However, a three-judge federal appeals court has ruled that the movie-making Antipodeans are "free to pursue their copyright infringement claim... because they were neither parties to the Green case nor in privity with a party".
The Australians tried to sell the script to Hollywood in 1988, but they weren't very successful. "We were told from the start it couldn't be done here in Australia, it had to be done in the USA," Mr Kourtis said. "The Australian Film Commission knew there wasn't the money for it to be done properly here. It was our first idea and he (James Cameron) pinched it."
In 2002, Mr Kourtis said Australian scriptwriter William Green had been commissioned to write the screenplay for a proposed movie called The Minotaur, set on the Greek island of Crete, and then said he own the screenplay copyright.
Green filed a copyright-infringement lawsuit against Cameron, who co-wrote and directed T2, as well as the movie's producers. In his complaint, Green tried to assert exclusive ownership of The Minotaur script and concept. But his complaint was eventually tossed.
The Kourtises sued Green, claiming they ultimately controlled all rights to The Minotaur and won their case in 1998.
The pair then filed their own copyright-infringement claim against Cameron. But a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the suit, saying that the prior ruling against Green prohibited them from suing on the same issue.
The Kourtises appealed and a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Monday, ruling they deserved their own day in court since they were not a party to Green's legal action.
"The fight has been worth it, it has been going on for years and years, more than 10, and it has been quite stressful for both of us," Mr Kourtis said.
"We have felt so angry, disappointed and betrayed, but none of that matters now because in the end the truth has come out," Mr Kourtis said.
An Australian couple is suing Oscar winning director James Cameron, for allegedly stealing their concept for a shape-shifting creature that eventually evolved into the character the in the 1991 blockbuster "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
Filia and Constantinos Kourtis claim to have dreamed up the character in 1987 for a film project titled The Minotaur, which followed a half-man, half-bull from Greek myth that had the ability to magically morph into various forms.
The Kourtises hired screenwriter William Green to write a screenplay, a copy of which they say ended up in the hands of Cameron, who in turn used the idea for the sequel to his 1984 sci-fi hit The Terminator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the killer T-1000 cybog.
The pair's attempt to file suit against Cameron was initially snubbed by a Los Angeles district court as their screenwriter William Green had previously lost the same case.
However, a three-judge federal appeals court has ruled that the movie-making Antipodeans are "free to pursue their copyright infringement claim... because they were neither parties to the Green case nor in privity with a party".
The Australians tried to sell the script to Hollywood in 1988, but they weren't very successful. "We were told from the start it couldn't be done here in Australia, it had to be done in the USA," Mr Kourtis said. "The Australian Film Commission knew there wasn't the money for it to be done properly here. It was our first idea and he (James Cameron) pinched it."
In 2002, Mr Kourtis said Australian scriptwriter William Green had been commissioned to write the screenplay for a proposed movie called The Minotaur, set on the Greek island of Crete, and then said he own the screenplay copyright.
Green filed a copyright-infringement lawsuit against Cameron, who co-wrote and directed T2, as well as the movie's producers. In his complaint, Green tried to assert exclusive ownership of The Minotaur script and concept. But his complaint was eventually tossed.
The Kourtises sued Green, claiming they ultimately controlled all rights to The Minotaur and won their case in 1998.
The pair then filed their own copyright-infringement claim against Cameron. But a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the suit, saying that the prior ruling against Green prohibited them from suing on the same issue.
The Kourtises appealed and a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Monday, ruling they deserved their own day in court since they were not a party to Green's legal action.
"The fight has been worth it, it has been going on for years and years, more than 10, and it has been quite stressful for both of us," Mr Kourtis said.
"We have felt so angry, disappointed and betrayed, but none of that matters now because in the end the truth has come out," Mr Kourtis said.