A copyright lawsuit against Disney is moving forward in a Canadian court after a Sheridan College graduate claimed Disney stole his idea for Inside Out, an animated blockbuster that grossed more than $850 million worldwide.
As reported by the National Post, Damon Pourshian is suing Disney over copyright infringement in an Ontario court, claiming Disney and its animation studio copied his student film, also titled Inside Out, to create its animated blockbuster. The similarities, according to Pourshian, "extend from the title to overarching themes, to minute and specific details -- none of which can be the result of coincidence." In the lawsuit, Pourshian asked the Canadian court to declare that he owns the copyright to his student film, the film's screenplay and its live production and that the defendants (the Walt Disney Company and others) infringed his copyright through the creation of the blockbuster. The lawsuit demands an injunction, financial damages and that Pourshian's name is added to the movie's credits.
On July 12, Divisional Court Justice Lise Favreau ruled that Pourshian's case can move forward despite Disney's initial argument that Ontario had no jurisdiction over the majority of the named defendants. The justice ordered the defendants to pay Pourshian $25,000 in legal costs as well.
In his statement of claim, Pourshian wrote, "It is clear that the Infringing Work (the Pixar movie) reproduces the inventive and central concept at the heart of the Original Works: the behavior and actions of the main 'external' character, a school-age child, are controlled by five 'internal' characters who work together and struggle against one another to help the external character navigate his or her daily life." Pourshian's Inside Out tells the story of a young boy named Lewis and "how his behavior is controlled by five organs, each personified as a character: Brain, Stomach, Colon, Bladder and Heart. Also included is a chart describing how Disney's characters Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness heavily reflect Pourshian's characters in terms of temperament and design.
Pourshian made Inside Out during his time at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. The short film received multiple campus screenings and won the People's Choice Award at the school's annual showcase. The visibility of the short film is a major point in the legal battle. Because Sheridan College is known for producing high-quality animation talent, it is possible that student projects at the school appear on the radar of American filmmakers and studios, according to Pourshian. Moreover, he pointed out that four of his former classmates worked on Disney's Inside Out, though they are not named as defendants in the lawsuit.
This is not the first time Disney has been sued for copyright reasons. In 2017, screenwriter Gary Goldman, the writer behind 1986's Big Trouble in Little China, sued the studio over the concept for Zootopia and recently, comic creators Ben and Raymond Lai refiled their lawsuit that alleges Disney stole an Iron Man armor design. This lawsuit is not even the first time Disney has been sued over Inside Out, having faced a legal battle with author Carla J. Masterson in 2015.
Judge Favreau's ruling is a major victory for Pourshian, though no trial date is currently scheduled.
Source: National Post