Plagiarising The Third Eye
In the Early eighties, while attending University Of Southern California Sophia Stewart wrote an original epic science fiction book and screenplay called The Third Eye Matrix. That body of work was later adapted to the screen as the Matrix and Terminator Movies Series and Trilogy. Going on to win four Oscars, many other awards and billions of dollars worldwide, however, the true author and creator was hidden from the masses until ABC News broke the story on October 17, 2003.
The Third Eye served as the major framework, characters and concepts of The Matrix and Terminator film franchises. How? When a copyright protected screenplay published by Sophia was plagiarized by the Wachowskis, Gale Anne Hurd and James Cameron; the screenplay split to create two narratives The Matrix and The Terminator without Sophia's knowledge or consent.
As an epic spanning three timeframes (past, present, and future) the Third Eye blends metaphysics and spiritual concepts with technological innovation. John Connor in the Terminator, is Neo from the Matrix.
Sophia took those involved in the plagiarism to Federal Court. It was the second case in the Utah Federal Courts on September 25, 2014, Stewart was awarded $3.5 Billion in Liens and almost a half million dollars in attorney fees against the California defendants and her former lawyers (Case 2:07-cv-00552-DB-EJF- FBI-DOJ.) These rulings by Federal Judges Evelyn J. Fuse, Dee Benson and the validations of the FBI and DOJ established Stewart as the Creator and Owner of the Matrix and Terminator Movie Franchises.
The Claim that James Cameron stole from Harlan Ellison and not Sophia Stewart.
It's very common for Hollywood to plagiarise unknown writers from around the world, authors, and even other filmmakers. They can take aspects of many other creators work or steal the entire intellectual property; characters, plots and environment.
In this case, evidence from James Cameron himself, that he plagiarised the teleplay's from Ellison Outer Limits episodes, without permission in making the first Terminator when Cameron during an interview got cocky and bragged to Starlog Magazine and it got back to Ellison. Ellison's attorney's found out and contacted Cameron. In the end, $400,000 (approximately) in an out-of-court settlement with Orion Pictures for the film The Terminator, which Ellison claimed plagiarised his Outer Limits episodes "Soldier" and "The Man with the Glass Hand. "Ellison was also required to sign a gag order and negotiated for his name to be added to the ending credits of the film.
However, James Cameron and his co-conspirator Gale Anne Hurd, also used The Third Eye as the foundation for the Terminator, yet in comparison the plagiarism of Stewart's The Third Eye was not treated in the same way.
Why is Race and Gender a Factor?
Harlan Ellison, a well known white male writer, was paid and credited for the plagiarism of his work by another another white male writer, producer, director James Cameron, who also stole from him in addition to stealing from Sophia Stewart.
However, in Sophia's case, she was not afforded the same treatment. She was an unknown black female writer, therefore the ease of which they would plagiarise her work without her permission or compensation obviously seemed to be an easy grift.
Harlan Ellison was questioned about Sophia Stewart several times in interviews and he was aware of her fight and her case, yet he was not comfortable speaking about her due to his gag order.