'Luck' director accuses Netflix, 'Squid Game' of plagiarism; files lawsuit
Filmmaker Soham Shah has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging that the plot of its popular series Squid Game is a "blatant rip-off" of his 2009 Hindi-language film Luck. The lawsuit, filed in a New York federal court on Friday, comes as Netflix prepares to release the second season of the show later this year. Shah's film revolves around desperate, indebted individuals participating in deadly competitive games for large sums of money. It starred Sanjay Dutt and Imran Khan.
Filmmaker claims 'Squid Game' mirrors his film 'Luck'
In the lawsuit, Shah asserts that "the main plot, characters, themes, mood, setting and sequence of events of 'Squid Game' are strikingly similar to that of 'Luck,' defying any likelihood that such similarities could be coincidence." He argues that the parallels between his film and the Netflix series are too significant to ignore. This claim comes as a challenge for Netflix as it gears up for the release of the second season of its hit show.
Shah seeks damages and injunction against Netflix
Shah alleges that Netflix continues to infringe his copyrights with works derived from Squid Game, including a reality TV competition and an upcoming immersive experience. He claims the show increased Netflix's market value by over $900 million. Shah is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction preventing the streamer from infringing his copyrights by marketing and streaming Squid Game, profiting from the sale of merchandise, and developing other shows that may infringe the copyrights in the future.
'Squid Game' achievements and Netflix's response to lawsuit
Squid Game, created by Hwang Dong Hyuk, made history in 2022 as the first foreign-language drama to win top honors at the Emmy Awards. The series was Netflix's biggest launch ever, with viewers watching 1.65 billion hours of the show in just four weeks. In response to Shah's lawsuit, a Netflix spokesperson stated, "This claim has no merit. Squid Game was created by and written by Hwang Dong Hyuk and we intend to defend this matter vigorously."
Netflix's history with copyright claims
This isn't the first time Netflix has faced copyright infringement allegations. In August 2023, the streaming giant settled a lawsuit brought by a writer who claimed that key elements of his screenplay, Totem, were used without permission in the series Stranger Things. Shah's lawsuit adds to the list of copyright claims against Netflix, which is based in Los Gatos, California.
