Disney Escapes ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Copyright Suit (1)

The Walt Disney Co.'s “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie franchise didn’t lift copyright protectable elements from a screenplay of the same name that Disney had rejected, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled.

Two writers and a producer accused Disney of copying themes, settings, plot, characters and dialogue from a screenplay they sent to Disney in 2000. But there were fundamental differences between their screenplay and the movies, and similarities were common to pirate stories or generic concepts that aren’t protected under copyright law, the court ruled in granting Disney’s motion to dismiss the complaint. ...