Abrams has been a writer, producer, and director for television and film for over 20 years. Spinner is a former creative vice president at Fox Television.Around 1976, Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions, Inc. (SMK) approached Spinner through his agents because SMK and ABC were interested in developing a television pilot with Spinner. Also present at the meeting were two writers and a producer from Abrams's show, Alias, and two executives from ABC—Heather Kadin, vice president of Drama, and Thom Sherman, senior vice president, Drama Development. at p. 636, 60 Cal.Rptr.3d 279.)

Proc., § 437c, subd. (Meta–Film Associates, Inc. v. MCA, Inc. (1984) 586 F.Supp. Feb 27 2014: Record received from U.S.C.A. (M.D.Tenn.2006) 427 F.Supp.2d 784, 796. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.The company’s history traces to 1926, when the Radio Corporation of America (now ABC turned its attention to television in 1948 but met with little success until it merged with Specializing in offbeat programming calculated to set it apart from the other networks, ABC entered into such risky ventures as ABC’s golden era began with the arrival of programming executive ABC was purchased by Capital Cities Broadcasting for $5.5 billion in 1986 and was subsequently acquired by the In December 1976, ABC entered into an agreement with SMK to retain Spinner to write a two-hour pilot tentatively entitled “L.O.S.T.” SMK was to pay Spinner $30,000 for his services and invoice ABC for that amount. Anthony Spinner brings this “idea submission” lawsuit against American Broadcasting Company, Inc. (ABC) for ABC's alleged use of his ideas in creating and developing the hit television series LOST.

By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. One survivor goes through a craggy tunnel in the mountainside and comes out the other side in a prehistoric world that “looks like a chunk of central Africa,” except the world is inhabited by dinosaurs and flying reptiles. Heller told Spinner that Alsberg and Gross were very pleased with the 1977 Script.The 1977 Script is about a group of eight survivors connected to the U.S. Olympic team whose plane crash-lands deep in the Himalayas. )Generally, there is no property right in an idea. Written and curated by real attorneys at Quimbee. (a).) 634–635, 60 Cal.Rptr.3d 279.) 636–637, 647, fn. (Id. He has never read Spinner's 1977 Script or Outer Space Treatment. 797–799, 339 P.2d 627.) (See 4 Nimmer on Copyright (2012) The Law of Ideas, § 19D.07[B], p. 19D–89 (Rel. (Id.

(Meta–Film, supra, 586 F.Supp. To the extent Spinner has established any inference of use, the inference is not based on proof of access. The court granted summary judgment in favor of ABC and held that ABC had “negated Plaintiff's claims by providing sufficient evidence to establish both that it did not have access to Plaintiff's original 1977 script and that the script for Lost was created independently.”The court entered judgment on December 19, 2011. Nevertheless, the California Supreme Court held in Desny, supra, at pages 733–734, 299 P.2d 257, that an idea can be the subject of an express or implied contract, and its disclosure and submission can be consideration for a promise to pay compensation. 522 [similarities between two works were without legal significance when inference of use was rebutted with clear, positive, and uncontradicted evidence of independent creation].)