Details of Meyer's plagiarism suit
Fri, 2009-08-21 09:20
I recently came across this doc detailing the alleged similarities between Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn and Jordan Scott's The Nocturne. For those who aren't up on this story, Ms. Scott has claimed that Meyer's book "misappropriated both the ideas and in many instances the text from [Scott's] book, The Nocturne, which becomes apparent using either the subtractive or totality methods."
Well, after reading the list, I just don't see it. One could claim the same thing about Scott's excerpts, easily similar to a dozen vampire romance books that came before it. Therein lies the problem -- the alleged similarities are just too vague. A word here, a situation there. Nothing substantive in my eyes, anyway.
Neither author has reinvented the vampire romance genre. But one has successfully popularized it again for the tween market, and the other, well, you've probably never heard of her.
I'll let you be the judge -- see the attached PDF. Note that it contains spoilers for "Breaking Dawn" so read at your own discretion.
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Yes, I'm *that* Vlad...
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| 0803_meyer_infringement.pdf | 3.2 MB |
Sun, 2009-12-06 12:11
#1
Meyer's plagiarism lawsuit dismissed
December 3, 2009 (MTV News / Eric Ditzian) -- A copyright-infringement lawsuit against author Stephenie Meyer alleging plagiarism in "Breaking Dawn," the final book in her "Twilight" vampire series, has been dismissed, according to a statement sent to MTV News by Meyer's publisher.
Jordan Scott, the author of a 2006 supernatural novel called "The Nocturne," filed a suit in August accusing Meyer of lifting elements -- including plot lines and developments -- from her book for use in "Breaking Dawn." On Wednesday, United States District Court Judge Otis D. Wright II dismissed Scott's claim.
According to the statement from Meyer's publisher, Hachette Book Group, Wright's ruling stated that the two books have little in common and that the "characters in the two works are vastly different." The decision goes on to state that Scott "twice manipulated aspects of the subject works in order to create the appearance of similarity."
"This judgment confirms what we have known all along -- 'Breaking Dawn' is a wholly original work by Stephenie Meyer and this was a frivolous lawsuit brought for the purposes of publicizing the plaintiff's personal publishing aspirations," Hachette said in its statement. "Hachette Book Group and Stephenie Meyer are pleased to be able to put this case behind us."
In August, Scott argued to MTV News that purported similarities between the two books could not be a coincidence. "This isn't about vampires or vampire lore; it's about the events in the book," said the author, whose book was never widely distributed to traditional bookstores. "From the main characters getting married and the description of the ceremonies, the feelings the characters are going through ... these are not things you typically see in the vampire genre."
Contacted for comment by MTV News following the dismissal, Scott's lawyer J. Craig Williams released the following statement: "Courts serve the function of resolving disputes between people who disagree over issues such as copyright infringement. We are pleased the judge very carefully made a side-by-side comparison of 'The Nocturne' and 'Breaking Dawn' and issued a considered opinion regarding his decision. At this point, Jordan Scott is studying her options regarding continued prosecution of her case against Stephenie Meyer."
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