In creative fields like songwriting and screenwriting, someone can come along and say that somebody stole their idea and tuned it into a money-making hit. It seems to happen quite frequently. These allegations can be baseless, but they can also generate publicity and even legal action. At the moment, TV mastermind Taylor Sheridan and others are apparently being accused of stealing the idea for Yellowstone, per People. According to the outlet, a writer named Lauren J. Salkin is bringing a lawsuit against Sheridan, along with several other entities like NBC Universal and Paramount. It was reportedly filed in California on Friday, August 21.
Videos by Wide Open Country
She is reportedly hoping to get an unspecified amount for "damages and profits" due to supposed copyright infringement. Salkin also seeks an injunction that halts the people and entities mentioned in her complaint from "continuing to use her copyrighted material."
Salkin's Project Was Reportedly Called 'Sovereign Nation'
She alleges that in 2016 and 2017, she presented Sheridan's reps with an idea for a TV series called Sovereign Nation. Salkin is allegedly charging that on February 1, 2017, she received a response that stated Taylor Sheridan was "unavailable for TV Projects." She also claims that Paramount then gave the go-ahead to Yellowstone "within months." The Montana-set Western drama hit small screens in 2018. It evolved into a mega success with star Kevin Costner leading the stellar cast. There have been several buzzed-about spinoff series as well.
Lauren j. Salkin also claims that her proposal and Yellowstone are very similiar. She reportedly sees numerous likenesses between the two projects in terms of "key plot devices, story mechanisms and character functions...."
An HBO Exec Allegedly Detected Similarities Between the Two Projects
Per People, an HBO exec familiar with both Salkin's and Sheridan's proposals in 2017 allegedly also noticed similarities between them. Lauren J. Salkin's complaint claims that this person "terminated Sheridan's project at HBO for that reason."
Her Attorney Issued a Statement
Attorney Paul B. Lackey, who represents Lauren J. Salkin, made a statement to the outlet about Salkin's case. It read, "This is a classic David-versus-Goliath situation. She spent years putting together the specific and multi-layered framework for a story that has become the biggest streaming success of all time. She has watched the vast commercial success of this story that was stolen from her and decided that enough was enough. We will do everything in our power to get her justice."
