Roger Dean the gifted artist who many say was the artistic inspiration to and behind the Avatar films for which we hope to publish more details here soon – find his art here
Since the film Avatar came out I have received and read very many letters and comments of recognition and indignation that I was not credited with the design of many of the features of the planet Pandora.
On the back of the opinions of many thousands of people following the promotion and release of the film Avatar at the end of 2009, and after looking at the legal issues very carefully, I launched a claim in the USA against the makers of the film.
On 17th September a federal court judge dismissed my case, without any trial or jury assessment, saying the extensive referencing of my work, which the film-makers admitted, did not amount to copyright infringement in law, owing to the lack of sufficiently substantial or like-for-like replication. The judge invited me to take satisfaction in the “remedy” of the public’s recognition of the relationship between my work and the film. I certainly appreciate that recognition.
I find the factual and legal reasoning in the judgment disappointing and a cautionary outcome for all visual artists and designers, but I intend now to focus on my other activities rather than further argument with these borrowers of my life’s work.
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