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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Writer Claims Clive Cussler Copied His Work

HAWAII (CN) - A man claims that Penguin Group twice rejected his novel, "Gold of the Khan," which he copyrighted in 2003, and then published Clive Cussler's novel, "Gold of the Khan," in 2006, which was based upon his work.

Louis Doody claims he submitted his book to Penguin in March 2003, and at Penguin's request resubmitted it that month in electronic form. He claims Penguin asked him to make some changes and resubmit it, which he did, in August 2003, and that Penguin rejected it again.

Doody says Cussler's novel, which Penguin published in November 2006, is "substantially similar" to his, in "plot, themes, setting, sequence of events, and characters."

Doody also claims that three other Cussler novels - "Trojan Odyssey, "Golden Buddha" and "The Navigator," - released between October 2003 and June 2007, also "contain several protected elements of plaintiff's literary work," though the resemblances are not as striking as in the Khan books.

Doody demands monetary damages and costs. He is represented in Federal Court by J. Stephen Street.

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