Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Bit Parts

By Stan Soocher
May 31, 2013

Jury Instructions for Implied Contract Cases

The California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District upheld a trial judge's rejection of two of Terence Dunn's three proposed jury instructions in an implied-in-fact contract case alleging that the DreamWorks' movie Kung Fu Panda was based on Dunn's story outline, The Adventures of Zen Bear. The trial judge did instruct the jury: 'Substantial similarity [in implied contract cases] is determined by making a comparison of the two works based on the opinion of the average individual.' The jury then found no use by DreamWorks. But the lower court judge had refused to tell the jury: 'It may be found if you believe the movie is 'based upon' Plaintiff's pitch, or any material element of his pitch, or if you find that Plaintiff's pitch was the inspiration for the movie. Even if the similar material is quantitatively small '.' The trial court also declined to instruct the jurors: 'Differences between the movie and the pitch do not necessarily mean they are not substantially similar. You may find that differences between the movie and Plaintiff's pitch were deliberately contrived to disguise the fact that Plaintiff's ideas were being used.' Of the latter, the court of appeal noted in its unpublished opinion: 'No reasonable jury would interpret 'substantially similar' to mean identical. Accordingly, the jury did not need to be instructed that two works could be substantially similar despite changes, omissions or additions.' Dunn v. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., B236200.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
New York's Latest Cybersecurity Commitment Image

On Aug. 9, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced New York's inaugural comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. In sum, the plan aims to update government networks, bolster county-level digital defenses, and regulate critical infrastructure.

The Bankruptcy Hotline Image

Recent cases of importance to your practice.

Law Firms are Reducing Redundant Real Estate by Bringing Support Services Back to the Office Image

A trend analysis of the benefits and challenges of bringing back administrative, word processing and billing services to law offices.

How AI Has Affected PR Image

When we consider how the use of AI affects legal PR and communications, we have to look at it as an industrywide global phenomenon. A recent online conference provided an overview of the latest AI trends in public relations, and specifically, the impact of AI on communications. Here are some of the key points and takeaways from several of the speakers, who provided current best practices, tips, concerns and case studies.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.