Jury Reaches Verdict in Copyright Trial Towards Disney After Alleged Moana Story Theft

Disney’s Moana is a story of a younger island woman who finds herself drawn to the ocean and in the direction of journey, rediscovering her ancestors’ historical past of being voyagers and aiding demi-god Maui in defeating Te Ka. The film was a essential and monetary success, one of many highest-ranked Disney movies on Rotten Tomatoes, with the sequel making historical past by turning into one of many highest-earning movies of all time.

The Moana sequence might be getting extra installments, however it is already an enormous success for the Disney company – and if profitable over the critics and bringing residence the cash weren’t ok, then the most recent authorized information needs to be. Disney can not solely transfer ahead with their profitable franchise however be assured that its authorized troubles are behind it.

Accusations of Theft Dismissed by Jury

The information, coming from Leisure Weekly, is that the federal jury got here to the decision that Moana was an unique idea by Disney and had no relation or drew inspiration, in any other case, from the accuser’s materials. The accuser, Buck Woodrall – an animator and author – had accused Disney of stealing the thought from his undeveloped mission Bucky the Surfer Boy.

Woodrall initially filed the lawsuit on January tenth, claiming the thought was taken instantly from his script with out his data or consent. Woodrall accused the Home of Mouse of being a “fraudulent enterprise that encompassed the theft, misappropriation, and in depth exploitation of Woodall’s copyrighted supplies.”

Woodrall’s declare rested on his connection to Madeville Movies by the step-sister of his brother’s spouse. Madeville Movies had a first-look deal that permits a manufacturing firm to amass the rights to a script from one individual or firm earlier than others. Woodrall had consulted with this relative on events and allegedly adopted up along with her concerning his script – which he says had a remarkably comparable plot to Moana.

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Finally, Disney’s authorized group satisfied the courtroom that there was no proof of the corporate having seen or learn Bucky the Surfer Boy and easily drawing inspiration from Indonesian tradition wasn’t sufficient to show theft. After the decision was rendered in favor of Disney, Woodrall’s authorized group recommended they supposed to proceed to pursue the difficulty.

“We’re going to evaluate our choices and take into consideration the very best path ahead,” a press release reads. “Our place, in the meanwhile, is to replicate on the decision, the proof, the trial rulings and to find out what authorized treatments could also be obtainable to our shopper.”

Moana has develop into a significant earner for Disney, with the movie incomes $321,000 throughout its fifteenth week in cinemas. That is shortly earlier than the movie is ready to come back to Disney+ – past this, future entries within the franchise presently stay hypothesis, although presently Moana stays the only proprietary property of the Disney company.

Moana is presently streaming on Disney+, and Moana 2 will begin streaming on March 12.

Supply: Leisure Weekly

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  Moana

  
  

  Launch Date

  October 13, 2016
  

  Runtime

  107 minutes

  Director

  John Musker

  
  

  Solid

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    Dwayne Johnson

    Maui (voice)

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    Auli’i Cravalho

    Moana (voice)

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    Rachel Home

    Gramma Tala (voice)

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    Temuera Morrison

    Chief Tui (voice)

  
  

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  Moana 2

  Launch Date

  November 27, 2024
  

  Runtime

  100 Minutes

  Director

  David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller

  Writers

  Dana Ledoux Miller, Jared Bush, Jason Hand, Ron Clements, John Musker

  
  

  Solid

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