Jury Rules for M. Night Shyamalan, Apple in Copyright Case

Director M. Night Shyamalan has been cleared of copyright infringement allegations regarding his Apple TV+ series, Servant, following a federal jury ruling in his favor. The trial, which lasted seven days, centered around Italian director Francesca Gregorini's claim that Shyamalan's series borrowed plot elements from her 2013 film, The Truth About Emanuel. Shyamalan testified that he and his team had never seen Gregorini's work and described the accusations as a 'misunderstanding.' He emphasized that the claims contradicted his artistic integrity and intention. Gregorini expressed her shock upon seeing the Servant trailer, believing it closely mirrored her film, but the jury concluded that the two works were substantially different. The ruling ends a case in which Gregorini sought $81 million in damages.