November 16, 2024 at 1:52 p.m. in Cinema
Released on December 10, 2021 on Netflix, Don't Look Up: Cosmic Denial received very good reviews from both the press and the public, even receiving 4 Oscar nominations the following year. But behind the scenes, everything is not so rosy: in 2023, the streaming platform has been the subject of a complaint for copyright infringement. Months after these accusations, the site has just won its first battle.
Don’t Look Updenial of plagiarism?
Netflix is regularly accused of plagiarism. This year, it's the French film Under the Seine which got the streaming platform into trouble with the law. A few years ago, Don’t Look UpAdam McKay's science fiction comedy with a very glamorous cast (Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett) was accused of plagiarism by William Collier. He had attacked the site, the director and his production company because of strong similarities between the film's plot and his self-published novel titled Stanley’s Comet.
Published in 2012, this book recounts the discovery, by a cheap NASA scientist, of a giant comet about to collide with Earth. At first the government is skeptical, but eventually they plan a nuclear attack – canceled for political reasons. Meanwhile, the scientist is propelled to celebrity status, while the population is divided on whether to take the threat seriously, and the rich develop survival plans.
According to our colleagues at THR, Netflix has just won the first round against William Collier. U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett dismissed the lawsuit, finding that several of the alleged similarities were too “generics“to make a claim for copyright infringement.”A comic, ironic or satirical tone is far too general to merit copyright protection“, commented the judge. The novelist can nevertheless correct his allegations and file your complaint again within 21 days. So the battle is not over!
