Disney's Moana Wins Legal Battle Over Surfer Boy Story

In a swift verdict, a jury in Los Angeles dismissed a man's claim that Disney's "Moana" was inspired by his story of a young surfer boy in Hawaii. The jury took only 2 ½ hours to conclude that the creators of "Moana" never accessed the outlines and scripts for "Bucky the Surfer Boy, " created by writer and animator Buck Woodall. The jury's decision hinged on the fact that Woodall's distant relative, who worked for a different company on the Disney lot, never shared his work with Disney employees. This relative, Jenny Marchick, testified that she had no involvement in "Moana" and ignored Woodall's requests for help. The case revolved around similarities between "Bucky" and "Moana, " but the jury didn't even need to delve into those details. Woodall's attorney, Gustavo Lage, argued that the evidence showed the two works were inseparable. However, the defense, led by Moez Kaba, presented a strong case that "Moana" was the result of the creative genius of John Musker and Ron Clements, who had no knowledge of "Bucky. " The jury watched "Moana" in its entirety and reviewed Woodall's story outlines and scripts. They considered the timeline of events, including when Woodall shared his work with Marchick and when "Moana" was released. The defense highlighted that Marchick worked for key Disney competitors during much of the time she was allegedly using Woodall's work for Disney. The similarities between the two works were outlined by Lage, including teens on oceanic quests, Polynesian demigods, and shape-shifting characters. However, Kaba argued that these elements are not copyrightable and are staples of literature and folklore. He pointed out that Musker and Clements developed "Moana" through their own inspiration, research, and creativity, drawing from sources like the paintings of Paul Gaugin and the writings of Herman Melville. The jury's decision does not bode well for Woodall's ongoing lawsuit over "Moana 2, " which earned more than $1 billion. Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, who is overseeing that case, agreed with the jurors' decision about access.