Warner Bros. faces infringement lawsuit over Gilligan’s Island

No matter what business you're in, your ideas are one of your most valuable assets. For this reason, it is essential to take the necessary legal steps to ensure your intellectual property stays protected. 

Disputes over intellectual property are common in the entertainment industry, as production companies receive many script submissions. In some cases, a writer will allege that a studio used his or her script without obtaining permission, and a claim like this may result in a legal dispute. However, if the claim is too general, it may not hold up in court. Many works of entertainment carry similar thematic elements. 

Travis Dunson sued Warner Bros. for copyright infringement, claiming that the company lifted elements from his adaptation of Gilligan's Island. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dunson created the work, "Gilligan's Island: 7 Stranded Castaways From the Hood," in 1999. Dunson claims that Warner Bros. is allegedly infringing on his work with its plans for an upcoming remake of Gilligan's Island. 

However, Warner Bros. disputes the validity of this claim. 

"There is no merit to this lawsuit. Not only does the plaintiff have no rights in an unauthorized work based on the Gilligan property, the project he's suing over never went forward," said Warner Bros. in a statement, the source reports. 

Deadline reports that there was also dispute over whether Dunson had rights to create an adaptation of the work in the first place. Dunson is asking for "wide ranging unspecified damages," in addition to having the new version of the film shut down. 

Every business must take the steps necessary to protect its rights. Contact a Phoenix small business attorney to learn more about how intellectual property law affects your business. 

Categorised in: Entertainment Law

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