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A Canadian college graduate says Disney stole his idea and copied one of his student films to make its animated hit movie “Inside Out,” according to a new copyright lawsuit.
On July 12, an Ontario judge ruled that the case filed by Plaintiff Damon Pourshian against The Walt Disney Company and others could move forward, CBR reported.
Pourshian alleges that Disney and its animation studio saw a student film he made while at Ontario’s Sheridan College — also called Inside Out — and used it to make its own animation that went on to gross more than $850 million at the box office.
He says the similarities are seen in the title, the overarching themes, and even “minute and specific details — none of which can be the result of coincidence.”
On July 12, Divisional Court Justice Lise Favreau gave Pourshian the green light to move forward with the case, despite Disney’s motions to dismiss, and ordered the company pay Pourshian $25,000 in legal costs.
Disney’s Inside Out, released 2015, tells the story of a young girl and her emotions, which are personified as Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
Pourshian’s Inside Out tells the story of a young boy and “how his behavior is controlled by five organs, each personified as a character: Brain, Stomach, Colon, Bladder and Heart,” the lawsuit says.
It reportedly includes a chart showing the similarities between the characters.
“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,” he says.
Pourshian says, when he released his film, it was widely screened on campus and won local awards. He says, because the college has an international reputation for animation, it is highly possible someone from Disney could have seen his film.
The lawsuit, which alleges breach of copyright, is seeking an injunction, financial damages and for Pourshian’s name to be added to the movie’s credits.
This is not the only lawsuit Disney is facing right now. Last year, Disney, Viacom, and other mobile app providers agreed to settle class action lawsuits alleging they unlawfully scrape data from child video game players.
What do you think of these allegations against Disney? Let us know in the comments!
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