Universal Requests Dismissal Of Bond Franchise Copyright Infringement Case

Universal Studios has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them from MGM Studios and Danjaq, the producers of the James Bond franchise, which alleged that their planned film Section 6, the story of the historical British intelligent agency MI-6, infringes on the copyrights of the super spy franchise.

In a motion filed on Tuesday, Universal claimed –

In an effort to claim an unfounded monopoly on the British spy genre, and to scare away Universal and any other would-be competitors to James Bond, Plaintiffs rushed to file this needless action.

Universal also went on to state that MGM and Danjaq’s objections come from an early draft of the screenplay for the project and since it has undergone rewrites since then, their ongoing concern is based on nothing more than empty speculation. MGM and Danjaq have previously insisted that they had a right to see the later screenplay drafts and Universal’s refusal to turn copies over led to them filing their suit last month.

Via The Wrap.