Quentin Tarantino Tries, Tries Again Against Gawker: Claims Direct Infringement Because Gawker Knew Page Numbers

from the interesting-theories dept

Fri, May 2nd 2014 12:16pm — Mike Masnick

So about a week ago, we noted that Quentin Tarantino had lost big in his bizarre lawsuit against Gawker for publishing a link to a script he was working on for The Hateful Eight, which had been rumored to have been leaked all over Hollywood. The judge pointed out that Tarantino's wacky theories on contributory copyright infringement made no sense, because they couldn't even show any direct copyright infringement. Of course, Tarantino's lawyers were given a chance to try again, and try again they have with an even more wacky theory. They're now charging Gawker with direct copyright infringement, not for linking to the script, but because they claim someone at Gawker must have downloaded the script, and they prove that because Gawker writers knew how many pages there were in the script.

On January 23, 2014, after Gawker obtained the Screenplay Download URL in response to its request for leak of an unauthorized infringing copy of the Screenplay, Gawker itself illegally downloaded to its computers an unauthorized infringing PDF copy of the Screenplay -- read it and learned that the PDF download document was 146 pages -- directly infringing Tarantino’s copyright.

Tarantino also claims that they induced the person who uploaded the screenplay to AnonFiles to do so and that Gawker's reporters "fabricated a story" about how the document had been made publicly available. It's not clear how Tarantino or his lawyers could possibly know that. Either way, the lawsuit remains quite a stretch -- and certainly could create serious problems for other journalists if the theories that Tarantino is presenting are considered valid copyright infringement.

Gov Uscourts Cacd 581122 36 0 (PDF)Gov Uscourts Cacd 581122 36 0 (Text)

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Filed Under: copyright, direct infringement, infringement, quentin tarantino, the hateful eight
Companies: gawker media

7 Comments

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johnjac (profile), 2 May 2014 @ 12:21pm

If GI Joe taught us anything, it is "Knowing is half the Battle"
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Michael, 2 May 2014 @ 12:32pm

How does that exchange go down between his attorneys?

Attorney 1: Damn. The judge saw through our crazy plan. How can be bill more time to this thing?
Attorney 2: Well, we cannot prove they contributed to copyright infringement without proving SOMEONE infringed. Can we prove that they infringed?
Attorney 1: How would we do that? We would need to prove they read it.
Attorney 2: Well, they did know how many pages the script had.
Attorney 1: Hmm...that's a good point. How could someone possibly know the total number of pages something has without having at least looked at it?
Junior Attorney: Well, they could have looked at any number of online sources that referenced the number of pages.
Attorney 1: Shut up and start filing motions.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2014 @ 12:40pm

i cant believe that Tarantino would lower himself like this! anyone would think he was associated with the entertainment industries and Hollywood! oh! but he is! ! forgot that!
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bshock, 2 May 2014 @ 3:38pm

In the words of Longfellow...
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bshock, 2 May 2014 @ 3:38pm

In the words of Longfellow...
Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.
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Bergman (profile), 2 May 2014 @ 5:46pm

Re:
Which mean that Tarantino has already at least half lost it. Not that that is news...
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art guerrilla (profile), 2 May 2014 @ 5:56pm

i still don't get it...
...SO WHAT .0001% of the population who are film-geeks or industry insiders saw the script ?
i read LOTR a dozen times, yet I STILL WOULD HAVE KILLED to see just about ANY movies done of it...
i can't IMAGINE ANY movie -whether i had an abiding interest or not- that i would NOT see because i read a story, or novel, or screenplay of it, that is just weird...
but that fucker always struck me as more than weird enough...
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