In 2005, DreamWorks released The Island, a glossy sci-fi thriller that quickly came under fire from the creators of a lesser-known 1979 indie film, Parts: The Clonus Horror. The Clonus team filed a copyright lawsuit outlining 90 specific claims of similarity between the two films — not just similar themes, but repeated story mechanics, visual choices, and emotional beats. While not every claim corresponds to an exact scene-by-scene replica, many follow an identical trajectory from premise to character development to finale. Below, we break down the structure of these 90 claims, exploring how both movies align across major narrative movements.
The case of Clonus Associates v. Warner Bros. & Dreamworks Pictures | Parts: The Clonus Horrors v. The Island | Case No. 1:05-cv-07043-SAS
The Illusion of Paradise (Claims: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13–26, 28–30)
Both Clonus and The Island open by immersing us in a clean, heavily monitored world where clones unknowingly await their deaths. These opening segments are arguably the most similar and account for the largest cluster of lawsuit claims. In Clonus, the clones live in a sunny, college-campus-like compound where daily routines include synchronized jogging and instructional talks. They dream of being chosen to go to “America,” a supposed reward. In The Island, the clone facility is darker and futuristic, but the story structure remains intact: wellness checks, uniform clothing, and a “lottery” that sends lucky winners to a false paradise.
The claims noted that both films portrayed the clones in white outfits, used broadcast screens to project lies about the outside world, and included a scene where the chosen clone is celebrated with a farewell party and birthday cake. Even the guards’ attire and behaviors are alike. The environment is designed to eliminate resistance — until one clone starts asking the wrong questions.
Seeds of Doubt (Claims: 1, 2, 12, 27, 31–34, 42–45)
This group of claims centers on the moment when the protagonists realize that something is off. In The Island, Lincoln Six Echo dreams of the ocean, finds a moth in the facility’s ventilation, and begins asking about food preferences. In Clonus, Richard stumbles across a discarded beer can and hears conversations that don’t align with what he’s been taught. These inconsistencies mark the beginning of their awakening.
Both films include scenes where the clone confronts an authority figure with questions, only to be placated or subtly threatened. Surveillance tightens. The tone shifts. These beats — internal suspicion, failed attempts at reassurance, and rising unease — are at the heart of these mid-range claims.
Forbidden Bonds (Claims: 35–41, 46–48)
Romantic intimacy becomes the tipping point. The Island features a developing relationship between Lincoln and Jordan that starts off with innocent curiosity and leads to emotional dependence. When Jordan is chosen for the Island, Lincoln’s fear and affection compel him to act. Clonus develops this tension more slowly between Richard and Lena, whose closeness is met with immediate intervention.
The lawsuit identifies multiple scenes showing guards interrupting romantic interactions, clones being reprimanded for physical contact, and a broader system-wide design to suppress emotional bonding. In The Island, this is accomplished chemically; in Clonus, through behavioral conditioning. Both films argue, consciously or not, that love is the original act of rebellion.
Breaking the Loop (Claims: 49–56)
Here, the characters stop asking and start investigating. In The Island, Lincoln gains access to surveillance footage and uncovers the horrifying truth: selected clones are murdered and harvested. In Clonus, Richard discovers a lab filled with dead clones and equipment used for organ transfer. The claims in this section point to the use of unauthorized exploration, the clone discovering surgical horrors, and both protagonists realizing that their lives were never meant to be lived.
Both films also show a clone awakening mid-operation — a moment so specific and disturbing that it became one of the more striking claims in the lawsuit.
Run for Your Life (Claims: 57–63)
These claims document the escape phase. In The Island, Lincoln and Jordan flee the facility through a series of action-heavy set pieces involving high-tech infrastructure. Clonus handles it more modestly: Richard slips away through tunnels and maintenance corridors. The lawsuit cites visual sequences where pairs of clones run, hide, and evade security forces, often in back-to-back scenes across the two films.
While tone and budget diverge here, the structural function of the chase remains identical: expose the clone to the outside world and shift the narrative from secrecy to survival.
Truth Hits the Real World (Claims: 64–67, 70–77)
What happens after escape is just as important. In both films, the protagonists confront their originals. Lincoln meets Tom Lincoln, a Scottish version of himself, whose betrayal becomes a major turning point. Richard never speaks directly to his original but discovers documentation showing who he was made for.
The claims tied to this section cover identity confusion, outsider behavior in the real world, and betrayal by the clone’s human counterpart. There are also beats involving helpful outsiders who are later punished — McCord in The Island and the man who takes in Richard in Clonus. Both stories use this second act to show that freedom isn’t simple — it’s traumatic.
Revenge, Revelation, and Reflection (Claims: 68–69, 78–90)
The final wave of claims centers on exposure and resolution. In The Island, Lincoln returns to the facility, stages an uprising, and frees the other clones. In Clonus, Richard smuggles evidence out to a journalist. Both acts reflect a final refusal to be erased.
What makes this grouping notable is the consistent moral arc: the clone who no longer wants to live quietly now risks death to end the system. From footage shown to the public, to conversations about identity and divinity, both films culminate in philosophical statements about personhood — which is exactly why the lawsuit was so adamant.
The Lawsuit
Doug Hall and the Clonus team compiled all 90 of these comparisons into a complaint filed in August 2005. By December, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. had settled the case for a reported six-figure amount. The similarities weren’t just striking — they were too specific to ignore.
While The Island still garners the spotlight, the Clonus lawsuit stands as one of the most detailed copyright claims in modern film history. It didn’t just challenge a big studio — it showed that even forgotten films can leave a paper trail.
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