Universal Dismisses MGM's JAMES BOND Lawsuit as Unnecessary

Universal is currently working on a script for a new movie titled Section 6. The film about the formation of MI6 after World War I. MGM, however, saw this script as a direct infringement of the James Bond/007 franchise. They sued Universal back in April; and now, the court date is approaching on July 28. According to Variety, Universal considers the charges to be "extraordinary and needless."

In a filing with the US District Court in LA, Universal stated, "Since the movie may never be made and, if it is, the screenplay will be very different from the existing one about which plaintiffs complain, there is no need to use a significant amount of judicial and legal resources at this point."

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Universal continued, "If Universal ever decides to make the movie, and Plaintiffs claim that even the revised screenplay infringes, there would be something to argue about, and the case can then be filed."

The screenwriter, Aaron Berg, claims that there is no copywright infringement to begin with. He says that MGM has "cherry-picked from the entire James Bond oeuvre" and that the "few short phrases possibly evoking the Bond works" are non-infringing because they fall under fair use.

Berg stated, "Using Plaintiffs' egregiously incorrect approach, Inglourious Basterds would infringe The Dirty Dozen, The Sopranos would infringe The Godfather, and Titanic would infringe The Poseidon Adventure."