Quick Boot of ‘What Men Want’ Copyright Suit Upheld by 9th Cir.

A writer failed to revive his lawsuit before the Ninth Circuit claiming Paramount Pictures Corp. and Black Entertainment Television ripped off his unpublished screenplay to make “What Men Want.”

Joe Carlini failed to allege the 2019 film copied protectable elements from “What the F is He Thinking,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said. The works differ widely, and most similarities flow naturally from the unpredictable idea of a character becoming able to hear others’ private thoughts or the romantic comedy genre, the court said.

Concepts that flow naturally from genres and unprotected ideas can’t support a ...