‘All Eyez on Me’ Sued for Copyright Infringement for Allegedly Lifting ‘Fictional Characters and Re-Worked Narratives’
The list of people who aren’t happy with “All Eyez on Me” continues to grow. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a journalist by the name of Kevin Powell is going even further than Jada Pinkett Smith and 50 Cent, as he’s actually filed a copyright lawsuit alleging that the Tupac Shakur biopic lifted “fictional characters and re-worked narratives” from a series of Vibe interviews he conducted with the slain rapper.
READ MORE: MC Hammer Defends ‘All Eyez on Me’ as an ‘Excellent Portrayal of My Loved One’
“While some of the content in these articles was factual,” reads the filing, “some portions of the article were changed or embellished by Plaintiff.” That’s crucial to Powell’s case, because if “All Eyez on Me” did in fact use his interviews — especially the parts that deviate from fact — then it essentially adapted his work without crediting him.
The complaint goes on to state that “[t]here are stories with fictional characters and re-worked narratives that are unique to the Original Work that appear in the Infringing Work,” specifically a character named Nigel who didn’t actually exist but appears in the film.
Making plans for Nigel is always risky business, doubly so in biopics. The move is somewhat risky for Powell, as it requires him to admit that he embellished details in his interviews. THR has more details on the lawsuit here.
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
