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'Fifty Shades of Grey' Porn Makers Sued Over Copyright

By Andrew Lu on December 06, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

You knew it wouldn't take long for a "Fifty Shades of Grey" porn parody to come along, and surprise surprise, one already exists.

Now Universal Studios, the Hollywood powerhouse that purchased the rights to make the movie adaption of the book for $5 million, is suing Los Angeles-based Smash Pictures for beating it to the punch with a skin flick entitled "Fifty Shades of Grey: A XXX Adaptation," reports The Week.

Universal Studios calls the porn movie a "rip off plain and simple," and they are suing for copyright infringement.

Those skeptical of the lawsuit may consider that if Smash Pictures' movie actually features sex, the movie may have very little in common with "Fifty Shades of Grey" the book. That's because while the book is filled with angst and emotional turmoil, it contains very little sex between the innocent Anastasia Steele and the charming, perverted billionaire Christian Grey.

Still, just because the focus of the porn movie may be different (if the focus is actually on sex), it's likely that they violated Universal Studios' copyright -- especially if the adult film was based on the dialogue, characters, events, story, or style of the novel, as Universal claims. That's because someone doesn't need to make an exact copy to violate copyright laws. Something far shorter than an actual reproduction can also violate the law.

Universal is seeking damages from Smash, and also wants an injunction preventing the sale of the "XXX Adaptation." In the meantime, Smash reportedly is already planning two sequels to their first movie, as well as a "play kit" of kinky sex toys called "Fifty Shades of Pleasure," according to The Week.

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