‘Inside Out’ Case Shows Gray Area Between Inspired, Swiped (1)

It happens all the time, at least according to copyright complaints: Someone pitches an idea to a major movie studio and nothing comes of it—or so the writer thought until seeing it in a theater.

But when they sue, the nature of the law, courts’ sometimes differing interpretations of it, and major media companies’ vast resources and experience navigating the courts can make it difficult for creators to prevail.

Spurned pitch-makers encounter myriad nuances within copyright and contract law, along with inherent subjectivity in separating inspiration from imitation, valuable ideas from recycled tropes.

Copyright law intentionally permits building on ideas ...