Plaintiff Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation ("Fox" or "Plaintiff") brings this action to enforce Fox's exclusive copyright and contract rights in a motion picture property entitled "The Watchmen," including Fox's exclusive rights to produce and develop the picture and to distribute the work throughout the world. Fox acquired rights to The Watchmen property over the period of 1986 to 1990 under a series of contracts and agreements whereby Fox at substantial expense obtained the rights from the creators and authors of the original works. As detailed herein, defendant Warner Bros. Pictures ("WBP") is now proceeding to produce, develop and enter into distribution arrangements for a motion picture based on The Watchmen notwithstanding WBP's actual notice of Fox's rights in the work, and notwithstanding WBP's express contractual obligations to honor Fox's rights in The Watchmen. Fox seeks injunctive relief to restrain WBP from taking actions that violate Fox's copyrights and which stand to forever impair Fox's rights to control the distribution and development of this unique work. Fox also seeks damages to compensate Fox for losses incurred as a result of WBP's breach of obligations owed to Fox, and for a declaration of rights, including Fox's distribution rights, changed elements protection and other rights that WBP refuses to honor despite Fox's demand therefore.Here's a salient excerpt from the Factual Allegations...
a) [Largo International, N.V.] agreed to pay Fox a substantial purchase price, plus interest and other charges, all as detailed more fully in the 1991 Quitclaim ("Purchase Price"); b) Fox was granted distribution rights to the first motion picture produced based on The Watchmen. LINV agreed that The Watchmen would be produced by LINV and distributed by Fox as a Subject Picture pursuant to the terms of the Largo Agreement for the time periods, territories and media set forth in the Largo Agreement (detailed more fully below) ("Distribution Rights"); c) LINV agreed to pay Fox a profit participation equal to 2.5% of 100% of the worldwide net proceeds of the picture and any subsequent motion picture based in whole or in part on The Watchmen, all as detailed more fully in the 1991 Quitclaim ("Profit Participation").And here's the master list of quitclaimed projects from the Fox-Largo era...
Projects Quitclaimed To Largo "My Illegal Alien" "Watchmen" Projects Controlled by Fox for Potential Turnaround or Quitclaim to Largo "Above and Beyond" "Admission Impossible" "AKA" "Alien Cop" "Angel Pangs" "Baby Blue Eyes (Flamingo)" "Cop in the Old West" "The Gossip Columnist" "House Guests" "The Mick" "My New Partner" "Showdown" "Tidings" "Very Old Money" "A Year and a Day"There are some real winners in there. Imagine the pitch meetings...