3 Count: Zero Lawsuit

Jonathan BaileyAugust 14, 2014

2 minutes read

Have any suggestions for the 3 Count? Let me know via Twitter @plagiarismtoday.

1: Terry Gilliam Sued Over Street Artist Graffiti in ‘Zero Theorem’

First off this week, Eriq Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter Esquire reports that a trio of street artists have filed a lawsuit against Terry Gilliam and various production companies saying that a mural they painted in Buenos Aires was misappropriated by Gilliam in his upcoming movie, The Zero Theorem.

The lawsuit claims that the trio finished their mural in 2010 and The Zero Theorem features a mural that is a misappropriation of that work in at least one scene. Though The Zero Theorem was mostly shot in Romania, where it is set, a graffiti mural in the film includes several elements from the Buenos Aires work.

Gilliam was previously sued for having an interrogation/torture chair that was similar to a drawing by artist Lebbeus Woods. That case was settled but is cited in the complaint as an example Gilliam having a “repeated disregard for copyright law.”

2: Lionsgate Granted Expedited Discovery to Confirm Identities of ‘Expendables 3′ Pirates

Next up today, Jason Hughes at The Wrap reports that Lionsgate has won a request for expedited third party discovery in its lawsuit over the leak of The Expendables 3, granting it the ability to more quickly learn the identities and locations of the various defendants involved.

The Expendables 3, due to be released in theaters on August 15, leaked online when a high-quality version of the film appeared on file sharing networks. Lionsgate, the production company behind the film, moved quickly to sue the various BitTorrent and file locker sites that hosted it and has already been granted an injunction barring those sites from distributing the film, even though it is now on many other sites and networks.

Given that most of the sites involved are outside the country, it’s unclear how this discovery will work, though Lionsgate seems to make it clear that they will be bringing legal action against whoever they can.

3: Hulkfile Shuts Down Following Expendables 3 Lawsuit

Finally today, Ernesto at Torrentfreak writes that Hulkfile, one of the sites listed in the aforementioned Expendables 3 lawsuit, has decided to close down.

Citing a concerns over revenue loss and possible legal issues, the site has shuttered in an effort to comply with the injunction Lionsgate won earlier against them. Further, they added that they were on vacation and that is why they failed to comply with a takedown notice sent to them about the file.

Since the injunction prevents them from hosting the file in any way and they do not have a means to detect when the file is uploaded, Hulkfile has announced that it is closing down. It is following in the footsteps of Swankshare, another site mentioned in the lawsuit and injunction, that has done the same.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.