Disney wants Epcot lawsuit dismissed

[Carol]

Disney wants Epcot lawsuit dismissed
It says a company hired to design a ride has shown no evidence of harm.

Sophia Pearson
Bloomberg News
November 20, 2007

The Walt Disney Co. asked a judge to throw out a Pennsylvania company's lawsuit about the technology behind its Mission: Space ride, saying there's no evidence of wrongdoing.

Environmental Tectonics Corp. sued in 2005 claiming Disney disclosed confidential information about the ride and falsely took credit for its development. The company, hired by Disney to design the ride, hasn't shown any evidence that it has been harmed, Disney attorney Laurence Shiekman said at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

"I think it would be a complete waste of judicial resources and time to permit this case to go to trial," Shiekman said Monday during the hearing.

Disney contracted with Environmental Tectonics, based in Southampton, Pa., in 1998 to design the ride at Epcot at Walt Disney World. Environmental Tectonics, which makes aircrew training systems, designed a ride with gondolas on rotating arms, using its flight-simulator technology. The company claims Disney disclosed its arm design to others, including competitors, without permission.

Environmental Tectonics was unable to complete the project on budget or on time, forcing Disney to take over and negotiate a new deal in November 2001, Shiekman said. Nothing Disney later sent to about 20 subcontractors had been identified by Environmental Tectonics as confidential, Shiekman said.

"After Nov. 15, Disney took over from ETC the responsibility of finishing the ride. ETC knew that," Shiekman said. "ETC never did anything to try to stop it. They never did anything that someone who's being harmed would have done."

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I am sure Disney wants all of its lawsuits dismissed.
2) Especially the multi-million dollar ones they have lost.

[Ian]

1) I am sure Disney wants all of its lawsuits dismissed.
2) Especially the multi-million dollar ones they have lost.

You said it.

It's not like they haven't been caught stealing people's ideas before.

[Jasper]

While it is true that Disney has lost some very public lawsuits about theft of ideas it is also true that they have won or had thrown out many of those exact same kind of lawsuits.

It is also true that many of these kind of lawsuits hinge on very technical issues which makes it very difficult for individuals like us to form an accurate opinion about the cases. It is also hard to form a fair opinion about these cases because much of what happens falls into that realm of "he said-she said" kind of thing. As a result a lot of it comes down to who do we believe more. And let's face it, we are all generally more likely to believe the little guy rather than a giant like Disney.

My point is, let's not rush to judgment on these cases because there is so much we can never know about the case.

[Ian]

You're right, of course, Jasper.

I should really clarify what I meant. I was referring strictly to the title of the thread which reads, "Disney wants Epcot lawsuit dismissed .. "

Like Scup, I found that kinda funny since ... well ... DUH!

But in terms of this particular suit, I've read the details and it seems questionable to me, at best. I agree totally that it's not much more than "he said/she said."

[KevGuy]

Tectonics couldn't "get er done" as they say, on time or under budget as the contract stated they had to. So now they want to recover some of their lost expenses on this failed project obviously. I predict they will be bancrupt and defunct within a year after this suit is tossed. Poor management driving a decent company into the ground. Just another frivolous lawsuit making the lawyers richer...

[Jasper]

One thing that has struck me as odd about this lawsuit is the idea that somehow the technology involved in this is truly unique. After all there has been talk and even photos of centrifuge technology being used by NASA and the military since at least the 1950's and maybe even before that. I just wonder what technology this company had that was actually protected information?

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I just wonder what technology this company had that was actually protected information? . . .

1) I have (11) patents.
2) I have (28) applications for patents denied.
3) You would be surprised as to
. . . what does qualify for a patent
. . . what does not qualify for a patent

[magicofdisney]

I just wonder what technology this company had that was actually protected information?

I would love to fill you in, but it's proprietary.

[Cinderelley]

I just wonder what technology this company had that was actually protected information?

If I told you, I would have to kill you. Hee-hee!

[retlaw1]

The first step any lawyer does in a case is try to get it dismissed on grounds of a lack of merit so it doesn't have to go to court. The reporter is making a mountain out of a molehill and doesn't understand anything about reporting legal cases.