Disney Beats Second ‘Zootopia’ Copyright Infringement Claim

A screenwriter couldn’t prove that Disney’s animated movie “Zootopia” copied from his screenplay, which also featured “anthropomorphic animals investigating crime,” a federal court in California ruled.

Any similarities between the works weren’t significant enough to show copyright infringement, and “ruling otherwise would have the peculiar result of giving Plaintiff a monopoly over all animated films involving crime-fighting, talking animals,” the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California said.

Brian Hoff wrote the screenplay for “Secret Agent 00K9" in 2007. Disney released “Zootopia” in 2016, and Hoff sued Disney for copyright infringement.

The court dismissed the case because Hoff ...