ABC sued for ‘Lost’ royalties

A struggling TV producer, whose credits include Baretta, The Man from Uncle and a whole list of old shows you would never have heard of is now suing both ABC and Touchstone Television, claiming he was the source of one of their biggest hits – Lost.

Anthony Spinner, 79, claims he was paid $30,000 by ABC in 1977, to create a pilot for what grew into ‘Lost.’ The result was so poor it was rejected. Three times. Most recently in 1994. Ten years later, ABC created what he now claims is a plagiarized replica – and Spinner now wants a cut of the bank.

A comparison of the two shows does turn up some matches – Mr. Spinner’s version featured a plane bound for L.A, which crashes on a jungle-like island, and the survivors then recall and revisit their previous lives through ongoing flashbacks. There’s a Doctor, a military type, a drug addict [like Charlie,] a token minority character [Sayid?] a female lead with a criminal record, and even a love-triangle sub-plot.

Given such wide similarity, why, you might ask, did this man wait five years to do anything? According to the plaintiff, he did try to sue back in 2005 – but that suit was denied for ‘procedural reasons.’

Now he wants a cut of the royalties, plus a share of the profits – and a fat check for ‘damages.’

But bear this in mind – Many people who have encountered this story believe it’s no more than a patronizing effort by Disney to gain free publicity – and thus better ratings – for the show’s final season this year.

If you know the show, you make the call.

Source: PRI