Disney has been cleared of a copyright violation accusation regarding its animated movie Moana. A jury sided with Disney in the case brought against the company by Buck Woodall. Woodall sued Disney in 2020. He alleged that the story for Moana was stolen from his own work called Bucky the Wave Warrior.
The trial lasted two weeks in a Federal courtroom in Los Angeles. Eight jurors listened to both sides and then deliberated for less than three hours. They decided unanimously that the screenplay for Moana did not have access to Woodall’s screenplay or earlier versions of it.
“We are incredibly proud of the collective work that went into the making of ‘Moana’ and are pleased that the jury found it had nothing to do with Plaintiff’s works,” a Disney spokesperson said.
Because it was determined by the jury that Disney didn’t have any access to Woodall’s screenplay, there was no need to determine how similar the two stories were. Woodall contended that he pitched the story to his sister-in-law’s stepsister, who was an assistant at a live-action production company on the Disney lot. According to court filings, the relative eventually asked Walt Disney Animation Studios if it would take a submission. They learned that it would not.
In its arguments, Disney said that their film was created years later. Disney lawyers also pointed out multiple fundamental differences. In the end, these were not needed. A judge found in November that most of Woodall’s claims were not admissible due to the statute of limitations since the film was released in 2016. However, the suit continued against Buena Vista Home Entertainment because the DVD was released in 2017.
Woodall’s attorneys said that they were “disappointed” by the judgment and were exploring their options. This isn’t the only lawsuit that Woodall has against Disney. He filed a second one against the House of Mouse over Moana 2. Currently, that case is still pending.
