Trekkies are familiar with Harlan Ellison because of his famous tiff with studio executives about not having his name applied to the credits of the most famous Star Trek episode ever, “City On The Edge Of Forever”. Ellison was so angry at the edits to his screenplay that he decided he didn’t want anyone to know that he’s written it in the first place.
Ellison also sued AOL (successfully) for Internet Piracy when he discovered that one of his stories was being shared on a UseNet group.
It comes as no surprise that Mr. Ellison is suing yet another entity. This time it’s the producers of the flick “In Time”, because the plot greatly resembles his story, “Repent Harlequin! Said The Ticktockman”. According the Ellison, it so closely resembles the screenplay that was developed by a third party years ago through The Kilamanjaro Corporation (Ellison’s company) that it’s unmistakable.
Ellison wants the movie nixed, never to be shown, and the copies destroyed. One has to wonder how he’ll prove his case. The plot certainly appears to be similar, but the wording must be precise. We still don’t know if he’s gotten his hands on a copy of the film or the screenplay.
One could also argue that “Logan’s Run” is a similar story: people living only to a specific age, their biological clocks being controlled by a central hub, and being forced to relinquish life at a prescribed time. Those who do not submit are hunted down and killed. But “Logan’s Run” happens in a utopian society, not a dystopian one, and corporations don’t seem to have anything to do with it, unless you read far between the lines. Well, one thing different isn’t so bad. Perhaps Huxley’s “Brave New World”?
Years ago this reporter was made privy to a memo written by Ellison about a book that he was asked to review. It was a yearly compilation of award-winning science fiction stories. The memo contained an angry commentary about the disgust he felt at being asked to read the book (when it had been sent to him yearly), how he detested writing review commentary, and the fact that he would not be returning the galley copy. It seemed so typical of his past reputation that the publicist felt that this reporter should see it (being known at that publisher as a Star Trek fan). It was hilarious, colorful, and cut like a rusty razor. Ellison should have been a comedian.
A little side note: while the media often sees Ellison as being a bit of a tyrant, he is adored by fans and writers for his classes on Science Fiction writing. In NY he often attends ICON, a convention held in the spring at Stonybrook University. His classes are must-see spectacles, and he presents a much more human face to his audiences there. In his classes he discusses much more than how to create a good plot for a story: he challenges the main-stream media for their over-use of clichés, teaches writers how to come up with original ideas, and forces them to look at their dialogue in realistic terms. His battles against online piracy are a boon to writers everywhere, even though writers face hard times proving their losses.
This will be a “wait and see” story, so writers, keep your eyes on the news and let’s find out just how much power the big corporations like FOX Regency have against “the little guy”.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/harlan-ellison-sues-claiming-foxs-235987
http://www.authorslawyer.com/c-ellison.shtml