"Moana" Copyright Infringement Case Won by Walt Disney Company

Writer Buck Woodall claimed the film is based on his own original screenplay from 2011.

Disney has been cleared in their recent copyright infringement case over Moana.

What’s Happening:

  • Variety reports that a jury has sided with Disney over a case of possible copyright infringement over Moana.
  • Buck Woodall claimed that the animated film was based on his own work, entitled Bucky the Wave Warrior. He filed the suit back in 2020.
  • The jury quickly came to the conclusion (deliberating for less than three hours) that The Walt Disney Company had no access to Woodall’s screenplay or treatments of his Bucky story.
  • Disney discussed the numerous differences between the works, alongside the fact that there’s no instance of Disney having access to the works of Woodall.
  • Woodall has another case still pending, alleging Moana 2 is also infringing on his work.

More Moana News:

Marshal Knight
Marshal Knight is a pop culture writer based in Orlando, FL. For some inexplicable reason, his most recent birthday party was themed to daytime television. He’d like to thank Sandra Oh.