Steven Spielberg Sued For Allegedly Ripping Off Hitchcock

NEW YORK — A lawsuit claims Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures Corp. ripped off "Rear Window" when they made the movie "Disturbia."

The 2007 thriller "Disturbia" stars Shia LaBeouf as a kid who spies on neighbors, including a man he suspects is a serial killer.

The copyright infringement lawsuit, filed Monday in Manhattan, says "Disturbia" copied a short story Cornell Woolrich wrote in 1942 and the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie that starred James Stewart and Grace Kelly and was based on the story.

Woolrich died in 1968. The rights to "Rear Window" were sold to Sheldon Abend, who died in 2003. His estate brought the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.

Representatives for Spielberg, DreamWorks and Paramount said they don't comment on pending litigation.

Comments

[ElectroJones]

I thought this movie was a remake/update of Rear Window when it came out. No wonder they're suing.

[CynicalGirl23]

Yeah, I thought so too.

[HTN]

.

It has taken this long for someone to have the audacity to sue Spielberg?
.

[AdamAnnapolis]

Brian DePalma's entire career says hello.

[ElectricEye]

Well yeah, but this is a little different. DePalma is a heavy sampler. This is "Ice Ice Baby". Have you seen Disturbia? I am shocked it took Hitchcock's estate this long to sue. If you put a monitor on Jimmy Stewart's leg and had someone not quite as hot as Grace Kelly out there, it's structurally almost the same movie.

[Bitsko]

The estate of Sheldon Abend is suing, not the estate of Maestro Hitchcock.

[kmsbt]

Where's the "Estate of William Shakespeare?" They'll make a killing! On second thought, they'd lose it all to the "Estate of Greek Playwrights" and only the lawyers would make out. Never mind.

[AgentMacGyver]

Shakespeare would have had zero exposure to Greek playwrights. The (Spanish) Roman writer Seneca, whom he was aware of, is a far cry from the Athenians.

[Agentlady007]

Yes, you are a director Steven. We get it already.

[JScott]

Didn't see Disturbia but just typical of LAZY Hollywood they don't want to make anything new, they just remake stuff over and over (sometimes not very well either). BTW Hitch's original can't be beat.
SS can afford to pay. He really won't be hurt. But Steve THINK a little first eh.

[hollyo]

Studios also don't want to PAY for material...they want to keep ALL the money and chisel new writers disgracefully. Writers and actors constantly have to battle which is why they have unions.

[andvoodoo2]

I've seen both "Disturbia" and "Rear Window" and they are not similiar enough to warrant the lawsuit. I'm also an attorney and a writer so I think I know what I'm talking about when I say the suit is without merit.

[ElectricEye]

simply wrong

[Bettysdad]

There are bad attorneys.

And bad writers.

[Sportswoman]

I've shown those films to my film class and discussed the similarities and differences. Just because the premise of someone witnessing a potential murder who is unable to do something about it is the same, none of the rest of the script it. They sure waited long enough, too.I doubt this goes far, but who knows about the courts? I'll bet they settle.

[jcwtts1]

Question, isn't part of the Hitchcock premise that he can't leave the house/apt. In Distrubia he can't leave because of house arrest right, and in Rear Window because of a broken leg. He is trapped. That isn't just a general premise similarity that is a direct lift.

J

[hollyo]

There's fifty years difference that's inherent...it's a direct rippoff of the very heart of the story.

[bobdevo]

You can't copyright an idea. This lawsuit is a loser from Day 1.

[privatepatriot]

I realize that Bush has been in office for too long, and that the constitution has been somewhat shredded. But I didn't hear about that "innocent until proven guilty" thing being thrown out too. Let's take a copy of the script and throw it into a lake. If it floats, then he is obviously guilty and we should burn him.

Hmm, maybe there's a move in this...

[hartkid]

Civil suits don't have an innocent until proven guilty thing. The Plaintiff bears the burden of proof. Typically, the standard will be a preponderance of the evidence, i.e. more than 50%. In this case, the Defendant will most likely prevail on summary judgment.

It's funny though, I just assumed when I saw Disturbia that the filmmakers had the rights to Rear Window and were just updating it/modernizing it. Truthfully, it's been a long while since I viewed Rear Window.

[RGKahn]

This is from Nolo.com
"Determining the Length of Copyright Protection
by Attorney Richard Stim

How long does copyright last? That depends on when the work was created and who created it. Here are some guidelines.

1. Works published from 1909 through 1921.
The initial copyrighted term of the work was 28 years from the date of publication. If the copyright was renewed during the 28th year, the copyright was extended for an additional 28-year period.

2. Works published from 1922 through 1963.
The initial copyrighted term of the work was 28 years from the date of publication. If the copyright was renewed during the 28th year, the copyright was extended for an additional 67-year period"
That would put it from 1942, when first published, amd going through 2009 I believe.

[Bettysdad]

When I first saw the ad I said it seemed to be a remake.

[InternationalObserver]

Wow. I thought Disturbia *was* a remake of Rear Window. How could they make it and *not* credit the original? Someone should make a version of ET and then see how Speilberg reacts.

[on2u]

And Spielberg is going to be the mediator between Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood??­...hmmm!!!
Eastwood has a lot more scruples than both of them. Spielberg the darling of Hollywood. Do not even try to touch Hitchcock. He is a classic.

[BJBirdie]

IMDb a movie called "Mac and Me."

[OttoMann]

Relax, folks. Disturbia is NOT a Spielberg movie, it was merely a film made by his company (Dreamworks) and therefore his name is on the lawsuit. It's not like he's, say, Brian DePalma. If anyone should be sued, it's De Palma for both Dressed to Kill and Body Double. Or Paul Verhoeven for Basic Instinct.

[nastyvirus]

Steven Spielberg has finally entered the Has Been zone.

[Eric8869]

George Lucas beat him to the zone

[Eric8869]

In other news Spielberg has announced a new movie about birds attacking a small coastal town, a lonely young man who takes care of a motel and a man who becomes obsessed with a blonde woman who is reincarnated.

[Bettysdad]

Actually, that was his mother who was in the rocker.

[zbig]

When I watched 'Disturbia' I really did think it was a remake of 'Rear Window'--I thought they had permission. It was clearly copied from it.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

Unlike Rear Window, however, in Disturbia you could see the microphones and the lighting equipment.

[hartkid]

hahahaha!