Williams v. Crichton

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• concluding that works portraying an adult guide and two young dinosaur enthusiasts visiting a dinosaur zoo were not substantially similar despite some plot similarities
• holding that novel Jurassic Park and children’s book about dinosaur zoo are not substantially similar
• recognizing that although the pace of the works was similar, “pace, without more, does not create an issue of overall substantial similarity between the works.”
• recognizing that “when one looks beyond the Superficial similarities [between the characters], many differences emerge, including the motivations for the characters’ trip to the dinosaur parks, the skills and credentials of the characters and their interpersonal relationship”
• explaining that a copyright claim will fail where the alleged similarities relate to “unprotectible sc[é]nes [a] faire or trivial, scattered details”
• explaining that copyright does not protect ideas or themes

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).

Cited by

56 cases in this archive cite this case; the 20 most cited are listed.

• Michael Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin
  Ninth Circuit· 2020-03-09· cited 134×
• Neil Gaiman and Marvels and Miracles, Llc, Plaintiffs-Appellees/cross-Appellants v. Todd McFarlane Defendants-Appellants/cross-Appellees
  Seventh Circuit· 2004-03-31· cited 123×
• Cavalier v. Random House, Inc.
  Ninth Circuit· 2002-05-21· cited 74×
• Tufenkian Import/Export Ventures, Inc. v. Einstein Moomjy, Inc.
  Second Circuit· 2003-07-30· cited 67×
• Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., Hyperlaw, Inc., Intervenor-Plaintiff-Appellee v. West Publishing Co. West Publishing Corporation
  Second Circuit· 1998-11-03· cited 66×
• Langman Fabrics v. Graff Californiawear, Inc.
  Second Circuit· 1998-11-09· cited 64×
• Anas Osama Ibrahim Abdin v. CBS Broadcasting Inc.
  Second Circuit· 2020-08-17· cited 51×
• BanxCorp v. Costco Wholesale Corp.
  S.D. New York· 2010-07-14· cited 39×
• Yurman Design, Inc. v. Golden Treasure Imports, Inc.
  S.D. New York· 2003-08-05· cited 32×
• Prunte v. Universal Music Group, Inc.
  District of Columbia· 2010-03-29· cited 28×
• Well-Made Toy Mfg. Corp. v. Goffa International Corp.
  E.D. New York· 2002-06-26· cited 25×
• International Diamond Importers, Inc. v. Oriental Gemco (N.Y.), Inc.
  S.D. New York· 2014-11-24· cited 25×
• Lewinson v. HENRY HOLT AND CO., LLC
  S.D. New York· 2009-09-23· cited 24×
• Porto v. Guirgis
  S.D. New York· 2009-09-28· cited 22×
• Dean v. Cameron
  S.D. New York· 2014-09-17· cited 22×
• Gal v. Viacom International, Inc.
  S.D. New York· 2007-09-18· cited 21×
• Maurizio v. Goldsmith
  S.D. New York· 2000-01-26· cited 20×
• Dimmie v. Carey
  S.D. New York· 2000-02-17· cited 19×
• Canal+ Image UK Ltd. v. Lutvak
  S.D. New York· 2011-03-29· cited 18×
• Shame on You Productions, Inc. v. Elizabeth Banks
  C.D. California· 2015-08-14· cited 18×

Cites

26 cases in this archive are cited by this case; the 20 most cited are listed.

• Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
  Supreme Court· 1986-06-25· cited 135,235×
• Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, Administratrix of the Estate of Catrett
  Supreme Court· 1986-06-25· cited 119,442×
• Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co.
  Supreme Court· 1991-03-27· cited 2,678×
• Delaware & Hudson Railway Company v. Consolidated Rail Corporation
  Second Circuit· 1990-04-20· cited 514×
• Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corporation
  Second Circuit· 1930-11-10· cited 357×
• Thomas Walker v. Time Life Films, Inc., David Susskind, Gill Champion, Martin Richards and Heywood Gould
  Second Circuit· 1986-01-07· cited 330×
• Knitwaves, Inc., Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant v. Lollytogs Ltd. (Inc.) D/B/A French Toast, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee
  Second Circuit· 1995-11-13· cited 330×
• Art Rogers, Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant v. Jeff Koons Sonnabend Gallery, Inc., Defendants-Appellants-Cross-Appellees
  Second Circuit· 1992-04-02· cited 236×
• Reyher v. Children's Television Workshop
  Supreme Court· 1976-11-29· cited 235×
• South Dakota v. Spotted Horse
  Supreme Court· 1991-05-13· cited 190×
• Rebecca Reyher and Ruth Gannett v. Children's Television Workshop and Tuesday Publications, Inc.
  Second Circuit· 1976-04-05· cited 182×
• Laureyssens v. Idea Group, Inc.
  Second Circuit· 1992-05-15· cited 164×
• Fisher-Price, Inc. v. Well-Made Toy Manufacturing Corp.
  Second Circuit· 1994-05-27· cited 142×
• Litchfield v. Spielberg
  Ninth Circuit· 1984-07-06· cited 127×
• Williams v. Crichton
  Second Circuit· 1996-05-22· cited 111×
• Kregos v. Associated Press
  Second Circuit· 1993-09-01· cited 107×
• Arica Institute, Inc. v. Helen Palmer and Harper & Row Publishers, Incorporated
  Second Circuit· 1992-07-22· cited 105×
• Ted Berkic v. Michael Crichton, Robin Cook, Marvin Moss, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/united Artists Entertainment Company
  Ninth Circuit· 1985-03-11· cited 89×
• Jossi v. Brown, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  Supreme Court· 1994-02-22· cited 63×
• Barbara Horgan, as of the Estate of George Balanchine, Plaintiff v. MacMillan Inc., Ellen Switzer, Steven Caras, and Costas
  Second Circuit· 1986-04-28· cited 31×