Gravity author drops Hollywood lawsuit, still claims studios stole her work

After a federal judge dismissed her case for the second time, novelist Tess Gerritsen has decided to drop her case, claiming that she doesn't have the financial or emotional resources to continue pursuing legal action.

Back in 1999, Gerritsen published her novel Gravity and sold the film rights to Katja Motion Picture Corporation, a subsidiary company of New Line. The deal gave Gerritsen $1 million as well as "a production bonus of $500,000, 2.5 percent of the 'defined net proceeds' from the movie, and screen credit."

In 2008, New Line was purchased by Warner Bros., and the merged company eventually produced last year's film Gravity, which, like Gerritsen's novel, followed a female doctor/astronaut stranded alone in space following a string of disasters. Warner Bros. however, never paid Gerritsen the $500,000 production bonus, nor did it pay her 2.5 percent of the films net profits, or provide her with a writing. For a movie that grossed over $700 million world-wide, that 2.5 percent became an absolutely huge cut of money, and Gerritsen sued for $10 million in damages.

U.S. District Judge Margaret Morrow wound up ruling that, since Gerritsen was unable to prove that Warner Bros. intended to take over of New Line's obligations when it merged with the company, she couldn't sue the company for copywrite infringement. Although her legal team was given the opportunity to amend their lawsuit, Gerritsen stated in a blog post that she has "no faith in the system or that my case will ever be heard by a jury,"

If you are in the midst of a copyright dispute, or if you think someone else is profiting from your own work, it is important to retain a skilled business attorney. A lawyer can help protect your rights in case of litigation.

Categorised in: Entertainment Law

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