Intellectual Property,
Entertainment & Sports
Mar. 11, 2025
Disney had no access to animator's screenplay to copy 'Moana,' jury finds
A federal jury in LA decided Disney's had no way of infringing animator Buck Woodall's "Bucky the Surfer Boy" screenplay when it made and distributed "Moana."
A lack of concrete evidence to prove a legitimate access breach between an independent animator and Disney's animation studios doomed his case that "Moana" was a stolen product of his unproduced screenplay, jurors found Monday, after deliberating for 21/2 hours.
The jury said there was no need to consider whether there were substantial similarities between the two animated works.
Following nearly five years of litigation, which included dismissals of Disney...
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