James Cameron has won another legal battle against special effect artist Gerald Morawski who claimed that the plot of 'Avatar' was stolen from an idea he pitched to the filmmaker.
- Apr 16, 2015
AceShowbiz - James Cameron has won another legal battle over "Avatar". On Wednesday, April 15, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected special effect artist Gerald Morawski's claim that the plot of the epic sci-fi flick was stolen from an idea he pitched to James. The suit was initially dismissed in February 2013.
The decision upholds a 2013 ruling from U.S. District Judge Margaret Morrow, who found that although "Avatar" had some similarities to Gerald's project pitch called "Guardians of Eden", James' 45-pages declaration showed that the movie was his own idea.
The appeals court noted that James "presented detailed and copious evidence of independent creation. Under California law, if a defendant presents 'clear' and 'positive' evidence of independent creation, any inference of use of another's work arising from access and substantial similarity is dispelled, and a plaintiff may no longer solely rely on that inference to establish improper use."
James' producing partner Jon Landau thanked the appeals court for its decision and blasted Gerald. "While it is unfortunate that a myriad of fortune-hunting plaintiffs seek to take credit for the success of our film, we are grateful that the courts have consistently seen through these grossly meritless claims," Jon said in a statement.
