Home News Appeals Court Won’t Kill Lawsuit Claiming Universal Stole ‘The Purge’
The 9th Circuit rules that Douglas Jordan-Benel isn’t challenging the activity of filmmaking, he merely wants to be paid.
On Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighed in on the annual 12-hour period where all crime is legal. Well, sort of. What a three judge panel at the appellate circuit has decided is that Universal City Studios must continue to face claims of stealing Douglas Jordan-Benel’s ideas for the box-office horror smash The Purge.
The Purge (2014) – Blumhouse Prods. (film) (ongoing)
On July 17, 2014, Douglas Jordan-Benel, author of Settler’s Day, sued Universal City Studios, Blumhouse Productions, United Talent Agency, and other related entities, alleging copyright infringement, breach of implied-in-fact contract, and other claims relating to the film, the Purge. In particular, Jordan-Benel claims that defendants utilized his ideas and wrongly credited another writer, DeMonaco, with writing the Purge, which Jordan-Benel alleges is based on his work, Settler’s Day. This case is ongoing.