Apple's 'Servant' Copyright Lawsuit Win Upheld on Appeal

Apple and M. Night Shyamalan have won an appeal in the copyright dispute over Apple TV series "Servant," with a federal appeals court upholding last year's jury verdict in their favor (via Reuters). In its October 22 decision, the Ninth Circuit rejected filmmaker Francesca Gregorini's arguments that problems with the jury instructions and an unanswered question from jurors warranted overturning the result. Gregorini sued in January 2020, alleging that the first three episodes of "Servant" copied her 2013 film "The Truth About Emanuel." Both stories involve a grieving mother who treats a doll as a living baby and a young caregiver. A jury unanimously ruled for Apple, Shyamalan, and the other defendants on January 24, 2025, according to the final judgment. The appeal focused on whether jurors received enough guidance to assess if the show's creators could have encountered Gregorini's film. The court found that the instructions were adequate and that the judge could accept the unanimous verdict before answering the jury's request for clarification. The lawsuit was initially dismissed in 2020, then revived on appeal in 2022 before proceeding to trial. "Servant" stars Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free, and Rupert Grint, with Shyamalan serving as an executive producer. Popular StoriesBanks and Credit Unions to Team Up Against Apple Pay FeesFriday September 25, 2026 12:22 pm PDT by Juli CloverAn antitrust lawsuit accusing Apple of blocking tap-to-pay competition is moving forward and will see banks and credit unions able to band together to sue Apple. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White this week certified a class in the lawsuit. It will include any U.S. entities that issued any payment card enabled for Apple Pay and paid Apple a fee for Apple Pay transactions on that payment card. ...Leaker Jon Prosser Pushes Back as Apple Seeks His YouTube DataJon Prosser is arguing that Apple's alleged trade secrets are now public, while the company seeks his YouTube revenue records, channel analytics, and third-party messages to investigate his alleged financial gain from leaks about iOS 26. In a new joint status report filed yesterday, Apple said it is still waiting for YouTube revenue reports, channel analytics, and third-party communications...Apple Pushes Back on DOJ Request for More EvidenceApple and the U.S. Department of Justice disagree over how much newer evidence Apple must hand over in their antitrust case, according to a new court filing this week. The two sides previously agreed to a June 20, 2025 cutoff for Apple's records. With the evidence-gathering phase now scheduled to end in late May 2027, lawyers want Apple to supply documents created up to 30 days before that ...