Is Media Matrix Covering Up Theft of The Matrix?
Conspiracy theories are flying this afternoon around the apparent refusal of the mainstream press to cover the story of Sophia Stewart, the writer who claims that The Matrix and The Terminator were both based on her original material. We decided to call her up and try to sort a couple of things out.
Stewart brought a lawsuit against the Wachowski Brothers in 2003, alleging their Matrix films borrowed crucial elements from a screenplay titled The Third Eye, which she wrote (and had copyrighted) in 1981, and later submitted to their production company in response to an advertisement. Then, in October 2004, Stewart won the right to proceed with a lawsuit against the Brothers and producer Joel Silver. But that decision - and the case itself - never appeared in major papers such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety or The Hollywood Reporter.
Stewart told us today that she never met or spoke directly with the Brothers; when she saw The Matrix and recognized her own material, she was "shocked." When asked why this ongoing saga has been ignored by most domestic media outlets, she said, "Time Warner" - parent company of Matrix studio WB - "is suppressing my case. They don't want their stocks to fall." But, she also mentioned that the initial filing of the case was reported on CNN - like Warner Brothers, a Time Warner company.
Is there truly a nefarious corporate plot underway here? Or, is the media just tired of covering intellectual property suits that blow up and then fizzle into quiet settlements? One thing we know for sure: a Google News search for "Sophia Stewart" turns up just two hits: Blogcritics and us.
Much more on this story as it develops...
Stewart brought a lawsuit against the Wachowski Brothers in 2003, alleging their Matrix films borrowed crucial elements from a screenplay titled The Third Eye, which she wrote (and had copyrighted) in 1981, and later submitted to their production company in response to an advertisement. Then, in October 2004, Stewart won the right to proceed with a lawsuit against the Brothers and producer Joel Silver. But that decision - and the case itself - never appeared in major papers such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety or The Hollywood Reporter.
Stewart told us today that she never met or spoke directly with the Brothers; when she saw The Matrix and recognized her own material, she was "shocked." When asked why this ongoing saga has been ignored by most domestic media outlets, she said, "Time Warner" - parent company of Matrix studio WB - "is suppressing my case. They don't want their stocks to fall." But, she also mentioned that the initial filing of the case was reported on CNN - like Warner Brothers, a Time Warner company.
Is there truly a nefarious corporate plot underway here? Or, is the media just tired of covering intellectual property suits that blow up and then fizzle into quiet settlements? One thing we know for sure: a Google News search for "Sophia Stewart" turns up just two hits: Blogcritics and us.
Much more on this story as it develops...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-16-2005 @ 4:13PM
Me said...
Haven't read her script or anything, but I have to say this is so much bull. There have been many philosophies and things that came way before the matrix. Baudrillard anyone?
Reply
11-18-2005 @ 7:26AM
Dimitar Vesselinov said...
Sophia Stewart Interview
http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/03/sophia-stewart-interview.html
http://sophiastewart.unn13.com/interview.html
Reply
11-18-2005 @ 7:26AM
Dimitar Vesselinov said...
Sophia Stewart Interview
Audio:
http://woba.unn13.com/listen/sophiastewart.html
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:13PM
Zulu said...
I have listened to the audio interview and read the excerpts from the Third Eye. I have concluded is a FAR FAR reach to say her book is Matrix and Term.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:13PM
truthseeker said...
The truth is that Plato's Allegory of the Cave is the Matrix. If Sophia's work is in anyway related to such paradox then she would owe Plato for taking his story. If the W. Brothers have taken from Sphia's work then she should be compensated. Fair is Fair.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:13PM
dc said...
Here's a discussion on it, http://newstoday.com/pv-an/view_comment.php?topicId=85319&showTitle=1. In one of the replies, it links to a wiki page that mentions the lawsuit.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:17PM
Winston said...
If you choose, you can read the actual court documents from Sophia Stewawrts case agaisnt Warner Brothers and the other defendants.
They are posted in .pdf on:
http://www.daghettotymz.com/matrix/matrix.html
A very intresting read.
Keep in mind that Sophia Stewart just might be a complete waco, but then again, she might be tellin the truth.
See the facts, then decide.
WW
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:13PM
ill trooper said...
...How are things progressing in the class action against the brothers for letting us down with the total garbage that was Matrix 2 and 3?
And by the way, even if the philosophies included were in existence before her submission, if the W. brothers were influenced by the submission, they are guilty and a settlement should be reached.
Maybe Keanu can step forward once more and give her a slice of his massive back-end profit and the press can shower him as a saint again...
Reply