Review theCounts vs. Meriwether Case Summary at https://www.loeb.com/en/insights/publications/2015/12/counts-v-meriwether

In cases alleging idea theft or copyright infringement, the defendant's access to the material must be established.

1. If the plaintiffs (the screenwriters) are represented by the same agency or law firm as the defendants (the studio or the creators of the show), do you believe that that establishes access?
2. Courts sometimes rely on expert witnesses to help determine whether two works are sufficiently similar so as to rise to the level of copyright infringement, particularly in music cases. Here, the court held that for works such as network comedy scripts that are targeted toward a wide audience, expert testimony is not crucial. How do you think a judge or jury should decide whether two scripts are substantially similar?