Dunno if this is a repost, but it's news to me. It also explains why $$trix sequels were utter disappointments. http://www.hotghettomess.com/not.htm To All You so-called Matrix fans, I bet this is something that ain’t featured on that limited edition DVD. Industry Rule #4,081, movie industry people are shady too. Black Author Wins The Matrix Copyright Infringement Case This little known story has met a just conclusion, as Sophia Stewart, African-American author of The Matrix will finally receive her just due from the copyright infringement of her original work!!! Monday, October 4th, 2004 ended a six-year dispute involving Sophia Stewart, the Wachowski Brothers, Joel Silver and Warner Brothers. Stewart's allegations, involving copyright infringement and racketeering, were received and acknowledged by the Central District of California, Judge Margaret Morrow residing. Stewart, a New Yorker who has resided in Salt Lake City for the past five years, will recover damages from the films, The Matrix I, II and III, as well as The Terminator and its sequels. She will soon receive one of the biggest payoffs in the history of Hollywood, as the gross receipts of both films and their sequels total over 2.5 billion dollars. Stewart filed her case in 1999, after viewing the Matrix, which she felt had been based on her manuscript, "The Third Eye," copyrighted in 1981. In the mid-eighties Stewart had submitted her manuscript to an ad placed by the Wachowski Brothers, requesting new sci-fi works. According to court documentation, an FBI investigation discovered that more than thirty minutes had been edited from the original film, in an attempt to avoid penalties for copyright infringement. The investigation also stated that "credible witnesses employed at Warner Brothers came forward, claiming that the executives and lawyers had full knowledge that the work in question did not belong to the Wachowski Brothers." These witnesses claimed to have seen Stewart's original work and that it had been "often used during preparation of the motion pictures. "The defendants tried, on several occasions, to have Stewart's case dismissed, without success. Stewart has confronted skepticism on all sides, much of which comes from Matrix fans, who are strangely loyal to the Wachowski Brothers. One on-line forum, entitled Matrix Explained has an entire section devoted to Stewart. Some who have researched her history and writings are open to her story. Others are suspicious and mocking. "It doesn't bother me," said Stewart in a phone interview last week, "I always knew what was true." Some fans, are unaware of the case or they question its legitimacy, due to the fact that it has received little to no media coverage. Though the case was not made public until October of 2003, Stewart has her own explanation, as quoted at aghettotymz.com: "The reason you have not seen any of this in the media is because Warner Brothers parent company is AOL-TimeWarner... this GIANT owns 95 percent of the media... let me give you a clue as to what they own in the media business... New York Times papers/magazines, LA Times papers/ magazines, People Magazine, CNN news, Extra, Celebrity Justice, Entertainment Tonight, HBO, New Line Cinema, Dreamworks, Newsweek, Village Roadshow... and many, many more!...They are not going to report on themselves. They have been suppressing my case for years..." Although there have been outside implications as to racial injustice (Stewart is African American), she does not feel that this is the case. "This is all about the Benjamins," said Stewart. "It's not about money with me. It's about justice." Stewart's future plans involve a record label, entitled Popsilk Records, and a motion picture production company, All Eyez On Me, in reference to God." I wrote The Third Eye to wake people up, to remind them why God put them here. There's more to life than money," said Stewart. "My whole to the world is about God and good and about choice, about spirituality over 'technocracy'." If Stewart represents spirituality, then she truly has prevailed over the "technocracy" represented in both the Terminator and the Matrix, and now, ironically, by their supposed creators. Stewart is currently having discussions with CBS about a possible exclusive story and has several media engagements in the near future to nationally publicize her victory. June 13th 2004. Sophia Stewart's press release read: "The Matrix & Terminator movie franchises have made world history and have ultimately changed the way people view movies and how Hollywood does business, yet the real truth about the creator and creation of these films continue to elude the masses because the hidden secret of the matter is that these films were created and written by a Black woman... a Black woman named Sophia Stewart. But Hollywood does not want you to know this fact simply because it would change history. Also it would encourage our Black children to realize a dream and that is... nothing is impossible for them to achieve!" Sophia Stewart, whatever color pill you ultimately decide to take, you are Not Ghetto.
Day'um. They had nerves of steel. Not only did they steal the manuscript. They had her submit it and then stole it. That is ballsy. Definately time to make 'em pay. I'm not a big fan of copywright law for a number of reasons. But I think this case is a little different. They never even gave her a chance to do something with her material first and never gave her the chance to profit from it. I wouldn't have cared if she had published or produced first, made her money, and then they made some great film out of her original content. That I would have been ok with. But to ask her to submit original material, blatantly swipe it from her before she had the chance to profit from it, and net the reward, I don't agree with that.
I want to read her manuscripit, having a hard time finding it though, just excerpts. I'm glad she's getting her due, but she seems to be spraying her retribution all over the place. I'm looking at this Sophia Stewart, Mother of the Matrix site and there's a section that names all the wrong doers and what they did. Look at this: Carrie-Anne Moss (1) Gave the Wachowski brothers the idea to call the movie “The Matrix,” (2) and the idea of virtual reality in exchange for a leading role. (3) Starred in TV-Series “Matrix” in 1993 in Canada I looked up the Matrix show she was on, it's just called that because the main character's last name is Matrix. Still, if the makers want to sue her for naming the movie the Matrix, that's their prerogative. Unless Moss knew the story was stolen, how is she to blame? Also, it seems she's responsible for an important part of the movies, making it about a VR world. John Gaeta [Visual FX] Created the visual effects/ The Matrix John Woo – [Director] (1) Directed the matrix film at Fox Studios ( Australia) (2) Secretly shared in the monetary benefits and success of the movie. This is freaking interesting. I want to know more about this right here. Paul Chadwick, Neil Gaiman, Bill Sienkiewicz, Harian Elison, Steve Skroce, Michael Kaluta, Geof Darrow, Poppy Z. Brite, Larry and Andy Wachowski, Ted Mckeever – [Artists of the comic book “Matrix”] (1) Andy and Larry Wachowski spent 5 ½ years on the Matrix. (2) Wrote 14 Screenplay drafts. (3) Supervised half-dozen artists who drew storyboards (some 500 in all) of every scene to persuade Warner Bros.’ top brass to make the film. How can the comic book guys be at fault, they were being lied to as well? She's going after my main man Neil Gaiman.
Wait, how is she getting money from the Terminator movies. It doesn't go into detail about that situation. Did they steal her idea for the Terminator too. If so, then this is one creative gal.
It still troubles me that I can't find any official news on this. I know she says that AOL Time Warner and Fox (Fox studios were used to film the movies) can block coverage of this from getting to their media outlets, but it's not like they own the AP.
Until someone shows me a record of this filing, I'm calling bull****. This little blurb here: "Monday, October 4th, 2004 ended a six-year dispute involving Sophia Stewart, the Wachowski Brothers, Joel Silver and Warner Brothers. Stewart's allegations, involving copyright infringement and racketeering, were received and acknowledged by the Central District of California, Judge Margaret Morrow residing" makes no freaking sense. Here are Central District of Cali. opinions & orders from '04: 2004 From this year so far: 2005 So how did this judge "acknowledge" her complaint? With a head nod? There is no vast media conspiracy that would keep a story like this out of every freaking major media outlet. The only "news" of this is on a bunch of message boards & a few half-ass websites like the one listed above... Christ. Here, on "playahata.com" she even claims she's repsonsible for Arnold's "I'll be back." line in Terminator.... LINK
You don't hear about it just like you don't hear about any other individual fighting large corporations... such as Disney's problems with Winnie the Pooh and some other guy's long battle with Coca-Cola using his can design. They pay their legal departments to keep it out of the media for a reason. Now, I'm not saying that's what happened here, because under first review it looks a little fishy.... I'll definately do some investigating of my own, I love stuff like this.
I've been trying to locate the case numbers listed in the PDF files on her site, and haven't been able to find any of them yet.
This isn't a Grisham novel. All the legal departments in the world couldn't keep this kind of story out of the mainstream media - IF IT WAS LEGIT! "The Media" - for the most part - has people do fact-checking before they run these stories. If the facts don't check out, they almost never run it. Here, this woman has provided courts/judge names, dates, and case numbers - NONE OF IT checks out. That's why it's not in the mainstream media. Not because of Al Pacino and his boys from Devil's Advocate...
