Plagiarism in series Chernobyl: Ukrainian director wins case against HBO
The series Chernobyl used a Ukrainian’s video without permission (photo: facebook.com/pryymachenko)
Ukrainian director Andrii Pryimachenko, after six years of legal battle, succeeded in having his authorship of a scene from the series Chernobyl recognized. The company HBO used his video without permission, the director himself shared this in a post on Facebook.
What is known about the director’s lawsuit against HBO
According to Andrii, he finally managed to reach an agreement with the company that used his video without permission in the first episode of the 2019 series Chernobyl.
The case was heard in the Southern District Court of New York. In the end, the parties reached a settlement.
"This is a significant precedent, as it was possible to defend the copyright of a Ukrainian in a US court in a case against one of the largest American (and global) media companies," he said.
He did not disclose the details of the agreement, as this is prohibited by the terms of the contract. However, he emphasized that the struggle was painstaking.
"When I took on this case in 2019, I had no idea how long and complicated the process would be. Two years of the pandemic and more than three years of the full-scale Russian invasion made this case even harder," Pryimachenko noted.
Which video was used in the series Chernobyl
The scene in question shows the transcription of the dispatchers’ conversations during the Chernobyl disaster, which was recreated in the series.
According to Andrii, it was his video with this visualization that was used in the project without any permission.
When he contacted the production company to seek justice and defend his copyrights, they responded arrogantly.
"To my friendly request, I received quite arrogant replies. After that, I decided to take the matter to court," he shared.
In the end, he achieved justice and proved his authorship. His video showing the dispatchers’ conversation during the explosion at Chernobyl on April 26, 1986, had been made publicly available back in 2013 on the Studia Peredova YouTube channel.
What is known about the HBO series Chernobyl
It is a five-part series co-produced by the United Kingdom and the United States. The project was created by screenwriter Craig Mazin and director Johan Renck.
The story focuses on the events that unfolded after the explosion of the reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The series recreates eyewitness testimonies of the disaster, including those of ordinary liquidators as well as government officials.
