Writer To Pay $40,000 For Claiming 'Alien vs. Predator' Used His Story

A judge has ordered a writer, who claimed that 'Alien vs. Predator' stole his story, to pay $40,000 to the studio for the trouble.

James Muller had alleged that 20th Century Fox's 'Alien vs. Predator' had a striking similarity to his script for 'The Lost Continent'.

Both scripts began with the tale of a battle between extraterrestrial creatures, but the similarities ended there for US District Judge Denny Chin.

"The alleged similarities were ill-conceived," said Chin.

The judge concluded the writer's claims were "frivolous and objectively unreasonable" because most of the "2000+ similarities" Muller had claimed were nothing more than the same themes that have been used in storytelling for years and years.

20th Century Fox estimated it had paid roughly $300,000 in lawyer fees to fight the copyright case.

It requested $150,000 with the "belief that the lesser award adequately serve the statutory goals of compensation and deterrence."

In the end, after going over his financial situation, the judge ordered Muller to pay $40,000.

August 25, 2011 |