Movies
Fox Kicks Writer’s Ass in ‘Alien vs Predator’ Legal Battle
“Whoever wins, we lose” continues to be the mantra.
I guess for a certain amount of money any writer would be willing to throw their name on that piece of dog sh*t known as Alien vs. Predator, which is probably why a Mr. James Muller sued Twentieth Century Fox claiming both the studio and writer Paul W.S. Anderson “stole his idea”. If it was actually his idea to have a human work with a Predator to kill the aliens off, he also deserves a public stoning. But alas, the courts have ruled against the poor sucker who will be stoned for wasting the court’s time, and the studio’s money.
Interesting story inside.
“In another sign that Hollywood studios are willing to go to the mat against writers who dare claim to have their ideas stolen, 20th Century Fox has won $40,000 in attorney’s fees from a writer who sued the studio in 2009 over Alien vs. Predator.
James Muller, who is now claiming insolvency, had alleged his script, titled The Lost Continent, bore striking resemblance to 2004’s Alien vs. Predator. Both screenplays told the story of a battle between extraterrestrial creatures, but the surface similarity wasn’t very convincing for U.S. District Judge Denny Chin.
In an order granting Fox’s motion for attorney fees, Judge Chin gives three reasons why Muller’s claims were “frivolous and objectively unreasonable.”
First, the stories were really different. The Lost Continent was about “a government-led expedition to the Antarctic to investigate a mysterious structure below the frozen surface. Second, the alleged similarities were ill-conceived. Muller tried to demonstrate “2000+ similarities” but many of the pairings were found to be not very similar. Third and finally, to the extent there was similarities, Judge Chin found they were unprotectable. Many were stock themes instead of things one can actually copyright — expression.
Fox then went after Muller to send a message to potential plaintiffs. The $40,000 award of attorney’s fees continues a recent trend where studios fight back hard.
The judge’s order on Monday also reveals the amount of billable hours a studio can spend in fighting a copyright infringement claim. According to papers submitted by Fox in the case, its fees were based on 1,230.3 hours worked by its team at Hogan & Hartson at rates ranging from $165 to $395 per hour.
That works out to more than $300,000 to fight a nuisance case, but Fox only requested $150,000 with the “belief that the lesser award (would) adequately serve the statutory goals of compensation and deterrence,” which the judge seems to have been open to accepting but for a look at Muller’s tax returns.
Seeing that the plaintiff really was financially hard-up, the judge settles on $40,000 as an amount that will do the trick of sending a message without ruining the guy financially.“
Movies
SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!
As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.
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Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.
Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.
Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.
Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.
Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?
Also check out:
The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.
Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.
And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.
These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.
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