Percy Jackson has won another battle but this time it wasn’t against a mythical creature. In 2010, Robyn and Toni DiTocco sued 20th Century Fox and The Walt Disney Co. claiming that Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians were taken from their books The Mad Myth Myserties. The lawsuit was dismissed last September by Judge Sidney Stein who pointed out many key differences between the two series including:
The plaintiffs’ books are told in third person while the defendants’ series are told in the first person, that the plaintiffs’ protagonist is a few years older than the defendants’ and that the plaintiffs’ tale of Greek mythology is told through exposition whereas the defendants’ brush with history comes through conversations.
The DiTocco’s appealed this decision and were heard by lawyers early last week, however the panel reaffirmed Judge Stein’s original ruling. The 2nd Circut panel also stated:
The subject matter of these novels necessitates significant reliance on Greek mythology for many characters, settings and classic stories. This material has entered the public domain and is not protectible.
You can read more about this case at hollywoodreporter.com.
