A Los Angeles federal jury ruled on Monday that Disney did not steal the idea for its massive hit film “Moana” from animator Buck Woodall.
The jury’s deliberation was decided in around two-and-a-half hours and ruled that, despite similarities, Disney and its “Moana” creators did not commit copyright infringement of Woodall’s story “Bucky the Surfer Boy.” The jury’s decision was based on the fact nobody working on “Moana” had access to the story outlines or the screenplay Woodall created.
Woodall’s initial filing stemmed from the fact he shared an outline to “Bucky the Surfer Boy” with Jenny Marchick, his brother’s wife’s stepsister – who worked for Mandeville Film, which was located on the Disney lot – back in 2004.