Quentin Tarantino Sues Gawker Over ‘Hateful Eight’ Script Leak! Award-Winning Director Wants $1 Million For Damages!

Director Quentin Tarantino has sought legal measures and sued the website that provided links to the script of his recently-shelved movie, "The Hateful Eight."

Tarantino was fumed when he read about details on his prospective Western movie on the media and the internet. He was so irked that he has shelved the project entirely and planned to revise the script into book form. But he did not just take the slight sitting down.

After his announcement that the project was shelved, Gawker then put up a post not too subtly entitled "Here Is the Leaked Quentin Tarantino Hateful Eight Script." This prompted the suit, based on "blatant copyright infringement" (Deadline)

From Deadline, the actual court documents detailing the complaint:

"Gawker Media has made a business of predatory journalism, violating people's right to make a buck. This time they've gone too far. Rather than merely publishing a news story reporting that Plaintiff's screenplay may have been circulating in Hollywood without his permission, Gawker Media crossed the journalistic line by promoting itself to the public as the first source to read the entire screenplay illegally. Their headline boasts, 'Here is the leaked Quentin Tarantino Hateful Eight Script'-here, not someplace else, but 'here' on the Gawker website. The article then contains multiple direct links for downloading the entire screenplay through a conveniently anonymous URL by simply clicking button-links on the Gawker page, and brazenly encourages Gawker visitors to read the screenplay illegally with an invitation to 'enjoy' it. There was nothing newsworthy or journalistic about Gawker Media facilitating and encouraging the public's violation of Plaintiff's copyright in the screenplay, and its conduct will not shield Gawker Media from liability for their unlawful activity."

The Hollywood Reporter has more details on the suit: "'The reason for the Copyright Act is to protect against the Defendants' conduct,'" states Tarantino's lawsuit which demands actual and statutory damages as well as Gawker's profits in the amount of at least $1 million.

A spokesperson for Gawker says they haven't seen the lawsuit yet. We'll update any further response we get."

This is not the first time Gawker went to court. They lost the case against Lena Dunham for publishing her book proposal. However, they did win the Hulk Hogan sex tape case.