Harrison Barnes PLC Files Lawsuit against Hollywood Producers for Allegedly Stealing Script
Malibu, CA (PRWEB) February 05, 2014 -- Harrison Barnes PLC filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of two screenwriters who claim that they spent substantial amounts of time, money, and effort creating, collecting, and distributing a screenplay that was copyrighted by them through the Library of Congress and was also registered with the Writers Guild of America. Informant Media, Inc., through President/Executive Judy Cairo (known for her work as producer for Crazy Heart (2009), producer for Hysteria (2011), executive producer for Erased (2012) and producer for Stuck in Love (2012) is said to have entered into a literary option purchase agreement with the screenwriters for the rights to their screenplay. Ultimately the option agreement was terminated pursuant to the agreement.
According to court documents, Luis Mandoki (director and producer, known for directing When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), Message in a Bottle (1999), Angel Eyes (2001) and Innocent Voices (2004)) was allegedly given access to their screenplay as part of his involvement with Informant Media, Inc. After reading the screenplay, Mandoki is alleged to have developed a competing screenplay that was written on the same unique topic as their screenplay (the events that took place in Terezin concentration camp in World War II and the artistic revolution that took place there). Mandoki and Cairo allegedly shopped around the “new” screenplay to various parties in the entertainment industry, according to the court documents. Plaintiffs are also informed and believe that Athena Ashburn (who produced and starred in the Elevator (1996), garnered a "Best Supporting Actress" award at the New York Independent Film & Video Festival for her work in the Theory of the Leisure Class (2001) and co-produced Bobby (2006)) allegedly contributed to the screenwriters’ copyright being infringed on.
The lawsuit filed on the basis of the screenwriters' complaint (Case No: CV14 – 778) seeks damages of at least $1 million and an injunction preventing Informant Media, Inc., Cairo, Mandoki, and Ashburn from marketing any work or screenplay that is a derivative of the Plaintiffs’ copyrighted material.
Harrison Barnes PLC attorneys have ample experience in entertainment law, as well as general litigation, employment law, release estate transactions and litigation, bankruptcy, divorce and family law and criminal law.
About Harrison Barnes PLC:
Harrison Barnes PLC is a Malibu-based law firm founded in 2004 by Andrew Harrison Barnes. It focuses on providing top quality representation to the Malibu community and has won millions of dollars for its clients over the last decade and has handled criminal matters across southern California. You can get more details on Harrison Barnes PLC by calling 310.598.1719 or visiting http://www.harrisonbarnes.com.
Michael Parker, Harrison Barnes PLC, http://www.harrisonbarnes.com/, +1 (310) 598-1719, [email protected]
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