June 21, 2006
DOCUMENT: Crime

Paramount Sues Over Hijacked WTC Film

Claim filmmaker used 'bootleg script' to knock off Oliver Stone flick

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Paramount Sues Over Hijacked WTC Film

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JUNE 21--Paramount Pictures is suing a New York artist for copyright infringement, claiming that the man used a 'bootleg script' to create a knockoff version of director Oliver Stone's upcoming film on the September 11 attacks. The studio contends in a federal lawsuit that Chris Moukarbel, 28, somehow obtained a copy of the screenplay for 'World Trade Center' and used the script as the basis for a 12-minute film that mirrors 'a significant portion' of Stone's work, which stars Nicolas Cage and is scheduled for an August release. Paramount's June 16 complaint, a copy of which you'll find below, charges that Moukarbel's film, like Stone's production, centers around a pair of rescue workers trapped in debris following the collapse of the towers. Included in the studio's complaint are nine pages from the 'World Trade Center' screenplay that Paramount contends were used by Moukarbel for his unnamed work, which he posted online (but has since removed). Additionally, the studio prepared a side-by-side comparison to highlight similarities in the two films. The Paramount complaint, which does not specify monetary damages, seeks a permanent injunction barring Moukarbel from distributing his film. In a statement, Moukarbel said that the film was produced as part of his Yale University master's thesis and that he never intended to profit from it. (18 pages)

Paramount Sues Over Hijacked WTC Film
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DOCUMENT: Stupid, Crime

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