DreamWorks Animation has been slapped with a second copyright infringement lawsuit regarding its hit KUNG FU PANDA, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
DreamWorks Animation has been slapped with a second copyright infringement lawsuit regarding its hit KUNG FU PANDA, writes The Hollywood Reporter. Jayme Gordon, via IP firms Fish & Richardson and Duane Morris, has filed suit in Massachusetts, claiming the film copies his KUNG FU PANDA POWER. The complaint, featuring examples of similar artwork from POWER and the DreamWorks film, states that Gordon copyrighted his work in 2000 with the U.S. Copyright Office.
In the suit, Gordon says that he met former-Disney chairman Michael Eisner and president Frank Wells at "Pleasure Island" in Disney World where Eisner suggested he submit his work to Disney. Later he took a meeting with Eisner, where POWER was presented. The complaint includes a photo of Gordon and Eisner at the meeting. Gordon goes on to say Jeffrey Katzenberg was working at Disney at the time he sent POWER and later to DreamWorks, which sent him a letter of receipt and rejection.
Gordon is seeking unspecified financial compensation, statutory damages and acknowledgment of his rights.
Previously, DreamWorks was sued over the film by Terence Dunn, who alleges he pitched an idea about a kung-fu panda in Nov. 2001. Dunn's suit has moved to the discover phase, giving him access to company records on the profits of the film.
Rick DeMott
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