Disney Takes Hit as Graphics Copyright Jury Verdict Revived (1)

The Ninth Circuit revived a nearly $600,000 jury verdict against Walt Disney Co. that found it infringed software used to animate faces in the 2017 live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast.”

A district judge wrongly concluded that Disney lacked sufficient control of the third-party software firm that directly infringed Rearden LLC’s software to be liable for vicarious infringement, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said. Rearden presented sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find Disney had the right and the ability to stop or limit Digital Domain 3.0’s infringing conduct, according to a Thursday opinion ...