PARIS (AFP) — A Frenchwoman who accused makers of the George Clooney film "Syriana" of plagiarising a script she wrote has lost her lawsuit, a Paris court ruled Wednesday.
Stephanie Vergniault, 39, was ordered to pay one euro in damages to the US studio Warner Bros. and the Section Eight production company owned by Steven Soderbergh and Clooney and 20,000 euros (25,000 dollars) in legal costs.
"An author cannot claim a monopoly on facts of history or current affairs or on political ideas," said the court in its ruling.
The court confirmed a judgement originally made in June 2006.
The French legal system allows for an initial ruling in a case to be made quickly. The plaintiff, if unhappy with the decision, can then ask for the case to be examined in greater depth.
Vergniault can now appeal the latest ruling.
She had argued that the companies copied a script she wrote called "Oversight" that touched on the same themes and incidents in "Syriana," a geopolitical thriller focused on the nexus between politics and oil.
The Frenchwoman had gone to court asking for an initial two million euros (2.5 million dollars) in damages pending an expert appraisal of both stories.
Clooney won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in "Syriana," which the filmmakers said was based on an autobiography by a CIA officer, Robert Baer.
Lawyers for Warner Bros and Section Eight denied plagiarism and said production of the film was well under way when Vergniault's screenplay received US copyright registration.
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