LOS ANGELES — A composer is suing Walt Disney, alleging copyright infringement.
Jaime Ciero filed a complaint Nov. 23 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Pictures, Idina Menzel, Demi Lovato et al., alleging the defendants distributed an intellectual property without authority from the owner.
According to the complaint, Ciero has suffered general and special damages, including lost profits, royalties, license fees, and other revenues as a result of the defendants' infringement of the plaintiff's copyrights. The suit says Disney and the other defendants are guilty of performing, broadcasting, streaming, marketing, selling, licensing, and otherwise exploiting and monetizing the song titled “Let it Go,” which is substantially similar to Ciero's song.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants obtained substantial profit from their unauthorized copy of the song at the expense of plaintiff, caused confusion to the public as to the song's true origin, and failed to seek or receive Ciero's consent to copy, appropriate, sample, cover, reproduce or interpolate any portion of the song.
Ciero seeks trial by jury, statutory damages up to $150,000, declare infringement, permanent injunction, constructive trust, special and compensatory damages, accounting of all revenues, injunctive relief, interest, attorney fees, interest costs of suit, and all further relief the court deems just. He is represented by attorneys Stephen M. Doniger, Scott Alan Burroughs and David R. Shein of Doniger / Burroughs in Venice, California.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 17-cv-08544