Woman Claims Disney Plagiarized ‘Frozen’

NEWARK (CN) - Disney's blockbuster movie "Frozen" was not based on a Hans Christian Andersen story but was cribbed from a woman's two books about her own life, the woman claims in court.

Isabella Tanikumi aka L. Amy Gonzalez claims in Federal Court that Disney plagiarized "the concept, feeling, story, characters, plots, subplots and storyline" from two of her books. She demands $250 million.

"Frozen," which has grossed $1.2 billion worldwide, is believed to be based on Andersen's story "The Snow Queen," published in 1844, which is out of copyright.

But Gonzalez claims it was based on books, "Living My Truth" and "Yearnings of the Heart."

"Living My Truth," which is described as Gonzalez's autobiography, was released in 2010 and "Yearnings of the Heart" was published in December 2011. Disney's "Frozen" hit theaters in 2013.

Gonzalez is described on the back jacket of "Yearnings of the Heart" as "born and raised in Peru's Andean mountains" and someone who "writes about her vast experiences growing up in a rural town with rich childhood memories, and gradually transitioning into the worlds of higher education and her professional achievements."

Gonzalez lists 18 elements that she claims were plagiarized from her books. She claims that both her works and 'Frozen' take place in a village at the base of snow-covered mountains where two sisters with opposite-colored hair live with their parents.

She claims that in her books a character named Isabella has two male characters named Hans and Cristoff who have romantic interests in her, and that in "Frozen," a character named Ana has two male characters names Hans and Kristoff who are romantically interested in her.

She claims that both pairs of sisters, in her works and in "Frozen," are involved in an accident in which one gets injured, and has no memory of the accident.

She claims that the injured sisters in both works cover up their injuries in public, have "terrible fears" and are "afraid to go out," and that both characters have an incident where their "defect was exposed and children are frightened" and both run away after the incident.

In her works, Isabella meets a character named Diego who told of "his friends" who had healing powers, while in "Frozen," Kristoff told Ana of "his friends" who had healing powers.

Gonzalez also claims that plot details were lifted from her books, including a first love playing with affections and not returning love, and that the Isabella character in her work led the life of a recluse due to her childhood injuries, much like the Elsa character in "Frozen."

It is unclear in Tanikumi's attached "plagiarism summary" which of her two books "Frozen" allegedly plagiarized when.

Tanikumi claims that she served Disney with a cease and desist order in July this year and that the company "responded by expanding its exploitation of her work marking to international audiences, as well as many offshoot project[s] such as live plays, games, toys and costumes."

Tanikumi seeks a "restraining order to cease and desist from any and all sales, distribution and marketing of 'Frozen' in any media format."

This is not the first time "Frozen" has been the subject of litigation; an animator claimed in March that Disney copied elements of a snowman character she created in the movie and trailers. A federal judge in San Francisco ruled in August that Disney will have to defend.

As for Gonzalez's complaint, a Disney spokeswoman, evoking the movie's most popular song, told CNN that the case "is beyond ridiculous, she needs to let it go."

Gonzalez filed the case pro se. But attorney William T. Anastasio, who is not named as her counsel or mentioned at all in the court filing, told E! News that "Ms. Tanikumi is a very private individual and does not wish to be interviewed at this time" and that "as the case moves through the courts, I am sure more information will become available concerning her claims."

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit