Lawsuit Against Amazon’s ‘Road House’ For Copyright Infringement And AI Voice Cloning Gets Ugly
‘Road House’ (2024), Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios.
R. Lance Hill filed a lawsuit at California’s federal court back in February, accusing MGM Studios and Amazon of copyright infringement for refusing to license his original 1986 screenplay for ‘Road House’ after he allegedly got back the rights prior to Amazon’s reboot. He originally sought-out a court order to block the release of the movie at the time.
The lawsuit from R. Lance Hill also accuses Amazon and MGM Studios of using generative artificial intelligence to finish the movie, in violation of direct policies and agreements during the actors strike.
In February, a spokesperson for Amazon MGM Studios said the lawsuit is “completely without merit” and that “numerous allegations are categorically false.” — “The film does not use any AI in place of actors’ voices. We look forward to defending ourselves against these claims.”
On May 3: “Plaintiff’s Complaint ignores the well-established rule of copyright law that the author of a work made for hire is not the individual who created the work,” declares the counterclaim filing by Amazon Studios, MGM and United Artists.
“In 1986, Hill personally acknowledged, represented, warranted — and indeed, contractually guaranteed — that the 1986 screenplay entitled Roadhouse was created as a work made for hire for his own company, Lady Amos Literary Works, Ltd. (“Lady Amos”), and that Lady Amos — not Hill — was therefore its author within the meaning of the U.S. Copyright Act,” the Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLC-represented defendants/plaintiffs said in their supposed truth of events. “Hill cannot rewrite this history now, nearly four decades after the fact. His attempt to terminate that grant is invalid and his copyright infringement claim is doomed to fail.”
Attorney Toberoff disputes: “Defendants’ claim of fraud on the Copyright Office is baseless deflection,” (the lawyer who took on Warner Bros over Superman) told Deadline on Monday; “Plaintiff informed the Copyright Office that this matter is in dispute and would be the subject of litigation.”
The counterclaimants want a court judgement that Hill has no copyright authority over the original Road House script. They urge the Copyright Office to shred his January 24, 2024 registration of the 1986 screenplay. The studios are additionally seeking lawyers’ fees and compensatory damages from Hill and his Lady Amos company.
“Road House” specifics: Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
CREW: Director: Doug Liman | Screenplay: Anthony Bagarozzi, Charles Mondry | Cinematography: Henry Braham | Editor: Doc Crotzer | Music: Christophe Beck.
STARRING: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida. Conor McGregor.
PRODUCTION: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Silver Pictures
DISTRIBUTORS: Amazon MGM Studios
2024 - Action - 2h 1m
