Under the Dome to be delayed/cancelled?

[pablo]

4 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) announced today that the company has filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the bestselling author Stephen King.

In the released statement, Fox states that "Stephen King is being sued for copyright infringement due to his pursual of publishing his new novel, UNDER THE DOME, which contains an idenctial premise to our studio's 2007 feature film THE SIMPSONS MOVIE. Despite numerous calls to Simon & Schuster, Mr. King's publisher, and Mr. King's own office with our concerns about the novel's plot and requests to cease publication until pertinent edits can be introduced into the manuscript to allow release of the book, Mr. King has denied ever seeing THE SIMPSONS MOVIE and has stated that neither he nor his publisher will comply with the request of Twentieth Century Fox. Therefore, we have no choice but to go forth with this suit as a means to protect out intellectual property."

A hearing has been scheduled for June 8, 2009.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcX5uUPFK7gHFmqv7Lkal08-lI1gD979L4DO0

[Black Suit]

I have to admit, I did say to myself.. "sounds like the simpsons movie" but I disregarded it only because it's a Stephen King story and the only similarity is the Dome.. I mean, I understand where the suit is coming from and from a legal standpoint they do have a valid case.

But I am positive that King would not be influenced by the simpsons movie, whether he had seen it, this is all coincidental and King's theme is that he wants to show how people in our society react once we have been shut out from that society..

[mojomofo]

Provided he found the original starter copy that was "lost" at Blaze's publishing date, and that it was dated, there shouldn't be a problem. Besides that, come on! Does SK really need to rely on pilching from The Simpsons? I think not.

[Moderator]

I think this is a joke, folks. No one from their office has called us regarding this and the link went to a piece about the Simpsons being on a postage stamp.

[Matticus]

It's a joke for sure. Google did all kinds of these today.

[Dallas Riley]

Its April 1st. I dont believe anything today.

[mojomofo]

OH. :blush::blush:

Well, the fun just don't stop on the MB today!:biggrin2:

[staropeace]

A joke more than likely. How would they know what he wrote anyway....they havent read it yet.

Thing is,it can sound like alot of different novels...and be totally different in its presentation.When I read what it was gonna be about...not much info and that is fine....I remembered reading Robert McCammons Stinger. In that story an electric type grid enclosed a southern Texas town ....the objects and folks in the grid's path were blown up and caught fire by it......so sorta similiar.

Thing is.....there are no new plots under the sun. Everything has been written about in some form or other......clunky old robots lead the way for artificial intelligence bots in this day and age....etc.

A writer doesnt write a new plot. He or she only changes the window dressing. If he is crafty ....then we are all happy.

[pablo]

It's a joke for sure. Google did all kinds of these today.

Well... actually I did this one :blush: Looks like I even got a couple of you, hehe... :) I hope Stephen doesn't mind, it's all in good fun, I wouldn't actually want him to ever be sued for anything and I'm sure UTD will be another terrific novel and have nothing at all to do with the aforementioned movie (which I thought was cool and SK should definitely watch it some time).

[dw1345]

Well... actually I did this one :blush: Looks like I even got a couple of you, hehe... :) I hope Stephen doesn't mind, it's all in good fun, I wouldn't actually want him to ever be sued for anything and I'm sure UTD will be another terrific novel and have nothing at all to do with the aforementioned movie (which I thought was cool and SK should definitely watch it some time).

I must admit, you had me fooled (and a bit angry) for a second there. Good job.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

My father used to quote George Bernard Shaw a lot -

'There are only five stories in the world and they're all Cinderella'.

Long days and pleasant nights

[Dana Jean]

Stephen himself in On Writing (I think it was On Writing) says that there are no new ideas. We just rehash the old ones with new spins on them.

[tillyn]

Sounds like a good plot for a movie.

[Dallas Riley]

Anyway, didn't stephen king have the premise for "Under the Dome" in the 1980's? So it wouldnt of mattered anyway if it were true.

[Prince of Darkness]

Hi,

Pablo - that was funny, yet cruel. I have heart problems and you nearly made them worse. :oo:

Good job, though. :smile2:

Long days and pleasant nights