In a traditional three-act structure, this might be the first turning point for in battle of Quentin Tarantino versus Gawker Media. As we’ve previously reported, Tarantino started firing anger bullets when his script for The Hateful Eight was leaked via Defamer; in fact, he was so darn-tootin’ mad that he decided not to make the movie after all, before probably un-deciding that this past weekend, after a live reading. In the background of all this action has been a dull C story in which the ever-vengeful Tarantino sued Gawker Media not for publishing his leaked script, but for linking to an anonymous download site from which aspiring filmmakers might download it. (Or QT, if he lost his copy, could probably download it there as well.) Today, a federal judge dismissed Tarantino’s suit, stating that there was not even a direct allegation of “infringement by any member of the general public” that would support Tarantino’s copyright claim. Said the judge: “Instead, Plaintiff merely speculates that some direct infringement must have taken place.” Still, Tarantino is down, but he’s not out of court: The judge will allow him to re-file with more evidence by the end of the month. [h/t to Forbes]
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