Is "Knocked Up" A Knockoff?

Canadian Author Sues Director Judd Apatow And NBC Universal

(AP)  A Canadian author has sued NBC Universal and director Judd Apatow claiming they ripped off the premise of the hit movie "Knocked Up" from her book of the same name.

In an article for Maclean's magazine this month, Calgary-based author Rebecca Eckler details similarities between her book and the film, in which an up-and-coming television reporter gets drunk at a party and then gets pregnant from a one-night stand.

Eckler writes that in her 2004 book, she's an up-and-coming newspaper reporter who gets drunk and "knocked up" after celebrating at her engagement party.

She claims that while pitching her book to Hollywood producers, she learned of Apatow's project and the script, which she says had on it a picture of a martini glass with a pacifier around the stem — the same as the cover of her book.

Apatow said in a statement through his representatives that the book and film were very different.

"Anyone who reads the book and sees the movie will instantly know that they are two very different stories about a common experience," said the statement posted on celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

The lawsuit claiming copyright infringement was filed in U.S. District Court in Central California in January and seeks unspecified damages.

"Knocked Up" starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen debuted last weekend in second place with $30.6 million.

[smb221]

I agree. But either way, in my opinion that movie kicked ***! Now I have to go buy her book.

[mayaderen-2009]

I hope she wins BIG TIME!!! A similar thing happened to me with a television program that I pitched to a major cable network. They didn't take the show but two years later, they ran a series that was almost exactly like mine. I realize that there is a possibility that this could happen, but there were several very distinctive things / names in my program that also just 'happened' to be in the one the cable network aired! I tried to fight it at first, but gave up because I couldn't afford to continue. I know of a few others this sort of thing happened too - and read about it more than I care to. Something should be done to protect the rights of the 'little guy' - I seriously doubt that it is always coincidence. Go Rebecca!!!

[dogsoul]

...if she really did see that script with the same picture as the cover of her book - martini glass w/ a pacifier - then they ripped it off... which isn't really all that surprising, Hollywood does that all the time, rip off material, change it up a bit & use their deep pockets & high priced lawyers to fend off lawsuits, or worst case - offer some menial payout.