Fox Sues Woman For Distributing Deadpool Script

Fox Sues Woman For Distributing Deadpool Script

They actually went and did it! Fox studious are now taking steps to sue a middle aged mother for 15 million. Click for the details.

By MarkCassidy - Nov 29, 2010 12:11 PM EST
Filed Under: Deadpool
Source: THR

I'm sure you all remember the Deapool script leak a couple of months ago. We reviewed it here at CBM, as did many other sites. Although we didn't actually reprint or post any excerpts from the script, and gave it a glowing review, I was contacted by Fox's legal team and asked..well, told to remove it in a pretty unfriendly manner. Well, now the same legal team are taking action against flower saleswoman and aspiring screenwriter Patricia McIlvaine. McIlvaine apparently distributed, but did not leak, the Deadpool script along with up to 100 others online. Fox don't seem interested in pursuing whoever leaked the script, just this woman who for all intents and purposes sent it around in an email.



From McIlvaine's site..

Two strangers knocked on her door and informed her, in front of her children, 20th Century Fox was suing her for 15 million dollars. Two hours later, after grilling her with questions for two solid hours, they left her stunned and crying in her living room staring at a business card that stated they were “private investigators.”

This was the first contact PJ had from 20th Century Fox regarding a Media Fire online script library she created — and was the day 20th Century Fox filed a law suit against PJ in federal court for fifteen million dollars.


On the same site, McIlvaine describes herself as a struggling screenwriter who sells flowers over the phone by day and writes scripts by night." She says she collected scripts that were already posted online and made a free online library of scripts in order to assist other screenwriters. What makes this all the more of an assholish move on the part of these lawyers is that, as pointed out by Cinemablend, certain sites DID reprint entire excerpts of the script with their review and those articles have been allowed to remain up. Reason? Maybe they are in Fox's pocket, or maybe big corporate backers make more daunting targets than struggling florists.


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selinakyle
selinakyle - 11/29/2010, 12:57 PM
Was it illegal to distribute the script?
Denn1s
Denn1s - 11/29/2010, 12:59 PM
wtf? what deadpool script?
LucasMend
LucasMend - 11/29/2010, 1:00 PM
and FOX continues to screw up peoples life. Dont they get enough money with bad CBM?, now they sue an innocent woman.
[frick] FOX
superotherside
superotherside - 11/29/2010, 1:12 PM
u got to be kidding... this is more stupid than the studios going after people that distributed films online...

this is a good way to describe fox:
superhero,over aggression,funny pictures

and fox this is what i say:
chill,superhero,super chill
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/29/2010, 1:15 PM
Merciless mother[frick]ers!:(... Seriously come on! This is fuking ridiculous!:D
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 11/29/2010, 1:16 PM
LOL... (well not really...poor woman)

WE should ALL sue FOX for making bad X-MEN movies!!!

: p
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 11/29/2010, 1:17 PM
You got contact @ ROR?

AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/29/2010, 1:19 PM
The woman will be paying that forever!
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 11/29/2010, 1:22 PM
This sounds like a pretty ridiculous thing to do on FOX's behalf. I could begin to understand it if she had actually "leaked" the script but once it's out there in cyberspace just about anyone can send it anywhere.

AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/29/2010, 1:22 PM
LEEE777@ You got it wrong! We should all sue Fox for raping and killing our childhood!!
Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon - 11/29/2010, 1:24 PM
It's an illegal distribution of copyrighted material.

It's not unfair, it's the law.
Denn1s
Denn1s - 11/29/2010, 1:27 PM
haah rape your childhood? don't like the movie? don't watch it. i agree, [frick] FUX...but not rape...haha
thebestkjk1
thebestkjk1 - 11/29/2010, 1:31 PM
@ leee777 you are correct but 15 million these guys are some real [frick]ers. i wonder if they are going to change it since people seen it allready
girlingray
girlingray - 11/29/2010, 1:41 PM
The site being quoted there is not PJ McIlvaine's site, the site is the CelluloidBlonde blog which is Max Adams' blog and the post was written by Adams, not McIlvaine herself.
JackBauer
JackBauer - 11/29/2010, 1:51 PM
This is seriously fricked up! The only chance this woman has is if she gets a judge that will toss this POS lawsuit out for being ridiculous!

I was willing to give Fox the benefit of the doubt on the new X-movies but frick them! I won't pay to see another Fox movie.
supert
supert - 11/29/2010, 1:53 PM
Sometimes I just don't understand people. What did this lady think was going to happen?!? Whether you like the studio or not is irrelevant, when you take something that's not owned by you and distribute it out to third parties knowingly that's illegal, not to mention that's just a crappy thing to do. And for what? A little mention on some fan website?! Something to make all the fans boys get wriled up even though it's may not even be close to the final version?

Maybe I'm just coming at this from a different viewpoint. I'm an advertising/design student so I know that if someone took my early drafts/design and sent them out to people before they were even finished I'd be pissed off to high heaven!

I'm sorry, it'll suck trying to pay $15 million dollars, but when you do stupid s*** you better be ready to buck up and face the consequences.
nuck82
nuck82 - 11/29/2010, 1:57 PM
well i guess you are happy you only got an email ror lol
RockNRollCC
RockNRollCC - 11/29/2010, 2:06 PM
I swear to god, if FOX decides to [frick] up the movie now, I'm with that woman and all the other deadpool fans out there in countersuing FOX for being such assholes!

Who's with me?!
marvel72
marvel72 - 11/29/2010, 2:08 PM
@ leee777

great idea suing fox,we could get a fortune from daredevil to x-men.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 11/29/2010, 2:19 PM
DP @ ; D

Thebestkjk1 @ Yeah man, I never read the script myself lol, don't see the point in reading scripts that always change and don't wanna read 'em anyway coz they spoil watching the actual movie, but then again, what am I saying... its a Marvel Fox movie lol! : P

15 Mill is stupid, no way this woman could ever pay it, stupid and will be thrown out of court.

Alex @ You got that right bud!!

LOL @ Nuck! : D
nimso
nimso - 11/29/2010, 2:21 PM
Next thing fox will be doing is saying we write great super hero movies. Leave the poor woman alone. Start putting the same effort into a good deadpool movie. DONT F**K IT UP FOX.
StrangerX
StrangerX - 11/29/2010, 2:24 PM
That sux
thatiscrazy
thatiscrazy - 11/29/2010, 2:24 PM
They aren't suing because of legal issues lol.
They are suing because they don't want us to know that its crap before we buy the tikets lol.

She was in the wrong lol. But if everyone said this was the best script ever written I bet they wouldn't have an issue.

And yes, fox raped our child hood lol.

[frick] FOX

I LOVE THIS SITE!!! =D
croniccris
croniccris - 11/29/2010, 2:46 PM
damn that sucks
phoe1
phoe1 - 11/29/2010, 2:51 PM
@supert
oh shut up. we all know that within the design industry the biggest amount of bs goes on in terms of intellectual property. everyday i make presentations containing IP of 3rd parties who havent agreed to their content being used. yea its in house but still illegal.

suing individuals for that much money should be made illegal. its exactly what has been stated before, they want to make an example out of her, its not about the money.

we live in different times and u cant sue someone for passsing on digital information which they didnt obtain illegally.
LastOfTheBlackLords001
LastOfTheBlackLords001 - 11/29/2010, 2:57 PM
@supert
I understand what your saying, man up and face the consequences, im all for it. Its just that the "amount" of punishment, no pun intended, seems a little excessive. Let me give an example. If a little kid steals, it seems proper to give him a pat on the hand, to make him apologize to the shop owner, or even limit his television time. It, however, is NOT proper to threaten the kid with a chainsaw and garnish his life's wages for now until the ALien Apocalypse.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/29/2010, 3:07 PM
Dear 20th Century Fox,
I honestly had hope for you, I really did. I didn't mind X-Men Origins: Wolverine and I'm certain that X-Men: First Class would be ok... but this going way, way too far.

Maybe this poor, single, middle-aged mother distributed this script online but odds are she wasn't the only one. Yet you single her out.

Here's a thought: how about you just ask where she got it from and find the person who actually leaked it. That way the problem is solved and the real criminal gets arrested! If you're too thick-headed to comprehend that, how about you sue her for something more reasonable.

Do that... and the rest of the fanboys MIGHT forgive you.

Choose not to... and you just kissed your last supporter good-bye.

Thank you,
Adam Sherman
P862010
P862010 - 11/29/2010, 3:12 PM
dont blame fox blame this dumb ass woman
Bandrews1
Bandrews1 - 11/29/2010, 3:13 PM
Thats [frick]ed up, another reason why no one likes the assholes at fox.
pitchblack
pitchblack - 11/29/2010, 3:16 PM
It's a douche move and they seem to be going after an excessive/unreasonable amount of money. But don't be under the impression that she didn't do anything wrong by law. It doesn't matter if you are the original source or if you downloaded the content. It's still illegal (and regardless of who else is/isn't getting sued for the same thing.)

With that in mind... if you're interested, I would read this:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/64106257/govuscourtsnyed31152310

If what's in there is true, and seems to be (she did have a script site), then you see that this suit isn't only about the Deadpool script. She got her hands on plenty of scripts and put them up prior to their public release (i.e. Unstoppable, Date Night, Wall Street 2, Glee). Not to mention that she re-uploaded Deadpool after she was told to take it down.

Life-crippling amount of money there, and clearly they are making an example out of her, but you have to admit she is pretty idiotic.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/29/2010, 3:17 PM
@P862010

I'm not completely absolving her of blame... I'm just pointing out that Fox is suing the wrong person for the wrong amount.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/29/2010, 3:22 PM
Sorry for the double-post. And admittedly, a dumb move.

But that leaked Deadpool script got me more in the mood to see the movie than I already was.
Darkransom
Darkransom - 11/29/2010, 3:29 PM
This is a Bullcrap lawsuit.It wont hold up in court. All Fox has done is now made a struggling Screen writer famous lol. Although it is illegal to print or distribute copyrighted material, it is not illegal to post something she found on the world wide web. If she has made no money off the script or charge for people to view it, then it is the same as reporters writing something they found from a source. She needs to claim the freedom of information act, and then she wont even have to reveal her source..heh. A lawyer will find her and eat this up, making him famous as well oh ya....Not only that, if 2 people just showed up at my house and tried to grill me for 2 hours, in front of my children...well that is badgering and IS against the law. PI's or no PI's. She can sue them for harassment.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/29/2010, 3:33 PM
@Darkransom

Well then let's hope that happens and that this woman can continue her life normally. P.S. Thanks for reminding me of the Freedom of Information Act.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/29/2010, 3:38 PM
@dirtyfarmkid

I don't think she was trying to be a douche, I think she was just trying to show people an example of an awesome script.

But, admittedly, she shouldn't have put it up on the internet.
Darkransom
Darkransom - 11/29/2010, 3:43 PM
@dirtyfarmkid

How did she break the law? Look...I'm doing what she did.

"1) 15 Million dollars is ridiculous, as they will never get this money. She will just file for bankruptcy.

2) I agree with Fox....(shudder) in that they are taking legal action. F*ck her for being a douche. People always think that they are above the law. I don't care about her sob story. She is a screen writer by night... which means, she knew full well what she was doing."

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

I found something on the web..and re-posted it. Nothing illegal about it.

Read up on it. She was legal in what she did, and is panicking cause fox is trying to use scare tactics on her and bully her.
lnTylerWeTrust
lnTylerWeTrust - 11/29/2010, 3:44 PM
It not like it was going to be good anyways. Why sue the poor lady
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