[Population: One] More on the WW/Sony Thang

[bryant]

I’ve gotten my hands on the complaint in the White Wolf vs. Sony case. (Link to the complaint replaced, since the people hosting it found a beefier server.) Be warned: there are big fat spoilers for Underworld in the complaint. Some notes, thusly.

The key White Wolf titles are Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, Guide to the Camarilla, Guide to the Sabbat, The Book of Nod, Caine’s Chosen: The Black Hand, Under A Blood Red Moon, Children of the Night, Time of Thin Blood, and Transylvania Chronicles One: Dark Tides Rising. And, of course, Nancy Collins’ The Love of Monsters, which is apparently set in the World of Darkness.

There’s an extensive list of similarities between Underworld and various White Wolf titles. I have no doubt the similarities exist, but I think they’re on the same level as the similarities between L.A. Story and When Sally Met Harry. “Hey, the protagonists fell in love! And they live in major American cities!”

Some examples:

56. In the World of Darkness, some vampires are capable of amazing speed. In Underworld, some vampires move with amazing speed.

57. In the World of Darkness, vampires “have the strength of ten men.” In Underworld, vampires “have the strength of ten men.”

71. In the World of Darkness, the history of the vampires is written in an ancient text. In Underworld, the history of the vampires is written in ancient texts.

Cause, you know, histories of ancient secretive races are usually written in modern texts.

There are more specific correspondences, but nothing that doesn’t exist in prior art. White Wolf just doesn’t have the copyright on “tall and lithe” vampire assassins. Even female ones with “a dusky, classical tone to her skin and black hair.”

Comments

[multiplexer.livejournal.com]

My favorite is #97.

97: In the World of Darkness, silver weapons harm werewolves. In Underworld, silver weapons harm werewolves.

I've seen frivolous complaints, and then I've seen this. This makes me giggle. I've actually saved a copy!

[jeregenest.livejournal.com]

I find the list insulting. WW should have had another cup of coffee before filing this. Nothing listed as unique to the WW is unique. Nor, to be honest, is the entire mix. They are so going to loose. Unless Sony just caves in and settles out of court because they are too lazy to hire someone to do 5 minutes of research.

Jere

[bryant]

There are a couple of hints of potential problems, but really they're only hints. The complaint is clever in that it weaves together different plot elements from the Collins story which happen to be similar to the plotline of the movie -- but if you mix and match from 200+ books you can make anything look like it's a ripoff to the casual fan.

[multiplexer.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling that Sony will just shovel "go away" money at them and move on, because this is just an obnoxious timewaster. I have trouble believing the script wasn't vetted by studio lawyers (who, if you think about it, are likely considerably better than WW lawyers) before it went to shoot. I also have trouble believing WW will have any power in halting the screening of the movie on 2000 screens in a week.

But if I was Sony, and I was feeling petty, I'd let it go as far as a judge dismissing it as nuisance just for fun.

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is exactly the sort of thing I meant when I said in a comment to the previous post that showing unique correlations would be difficult. I was almost hoping that the suit wouldn't be frivolous, but only because I'm tired of frivolous suits along these lines.

Also, Bryant, you're terrific and I fawn over you daily, but you got the title of the Crystal/Ryan/Reiner movie backwards and mispunctuated. It's ...When Harry Met Sally.

[bryant]

But I hate the movie with an all-abiding passion, so I don't mind getting it wrong. :)

[head58.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have time to go through the list and add a third (and fourth) line to each.

"In the World of Darkness, some vampires are moody drama queens and dress in all black and use mind control powers. In Underworld, some vampires are moody drama queens and dress in all black and use mind control powers. In Anne Rice's Lestat books some vampires are moody drama queens and dress in all black and use mind control powers. In Bram Stoker's Dracula a vampire is a moody drama queen and dresses in mostly black and uses mind control powers.

I think Bram Stoker should rise from the dead and sue the pants off WW. It would only be fitting.

This is clearly just a ploy to get them some attention from folks who see and like the film but haven't yet dressed up on frilly peasant blouses and sunglasses to stand around with 50 other people dressed the same, all crossing their arms over their chests so you can't see them.

[clauclauclaudia]

Well, a more serious error, then: your link to the pdf lacks an "http://", I believe--it's acting as a relative link.

[bryant]

Well, I'm a dork. Works now.