Comments on: Man Sues Claiming He Created ‘Lost’

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:11:44 +0000

This is absurd. LOST is so much more involved than just crashing on a tropical island, and if that’s the point of his case, he has no chance of winning. The idea of people crashing on an island who have different lifestyles and pasts is such a bland and simple idea. Gilligan’s Island, for example. Rich guys, poor guys, movie stars, etc. The fact that this guy is saying “well, I had a doctor, drug addict, convict, and minority means they stole my idea” is absurd. A lot of these “similarities” are over-exaggerated from what he was originally saying about it just to get more public support because, let’s be honest, you;re suing claiming you wrote a show as brilliant as LOST then you are going to be very easily mocked and hated…

By: Jill Bernal

Jill Bernal — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:07:17 +0000

It’s difficult for a writer to get a jury trial. I’ve been waiting for over seven months for a decision from the judge as to whether or not my constitutional right to a jury trial will be granted.

I find Spinner’s case especially interesting because it’s been claimed that the same two executives who purchased “Lost” also purchased “Desperate Housewives” before they left ABC abruptly. According to statements made by Susan Lynne, she and Lloyd Braun changed their focus at ABC from blocking programs to searching for hit shows. Apparently, as soon as they found two hits they left.

I’ve been informed that it’s unique that plagiarists are able to win easily because cases of plagiarism can be thrown out of the court system at a specific step in the legal process. Writers are commonly uniquely denied the their constitutional right to a jury trial. There are probably some powerful Hollywood forces that have created that situation. It will take a special court battle of its own to change this unjust condition.

By: Charles Castilla

Charles Castilla — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:37:20 +0000

Anthony Spinner must be a member of the Writers Guild. In the industry, especially in Hollywood, it’s rare that a non-guild writer be contracted as a script writer. The Guild agreement with the studio or network entitles the writer to the royalties and credit for creating or writing the story. In the case of Spinner, the similarities in the Lost script to his script are to close.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:08:09 +0000

It was all done before anyway. Does anyone remember “The New People”?

By: Darren

Darren — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:44:44 +0000

On face value you’d think so however such contracts, depending on the contract itself, usually include additional royalties. It’s a little too easy to get out of paying the extra payments owed to writers by taking their ideas and working them into something else years after you claim their script is of no value. I’m not suggesting that’s what has happened, but he certainly is. If his original contract includes royalties and he was told his script wouldn’t be made, and then suddenly a popular show/movie is made from its ideas, its only fair he gets the originally agreed royalties. Otherwise it would be all too easy to shaft writers left right and center.

By: Crockett

Crockett — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:15:11 +0000

If he was paid $30,000 to write the pilot does the script not belong to the one who paid for it?