Why isn't Disney getting sued for "High School Musical"?

I'm doing this show-from-hell now and I am amazed at the blatant ripoffs (SPOILERS--as if you didn't know)

The basketball guy and the female science geek meet during vacation, are charming and natural with each other, then return to school and give differing accounts of their meeting to their respective cliques (like "Summer Nights" in GREASE)--

They audition for the school musical, in a scene culled directly from "God I Hope I Get It" in A CHORUS LINE (the chord patterns are near-identical)--

They call their friends about this, and the news spreads electronically over the school ("The Telephone Hour" from BYE, BYE BIRDIE, with cellphones)

This news somehow causes their friends to freak out (in the manner of a 1980s John Hughes teenager movie) in a production number entitled "Stick to the Status Quo" (which I think is probably the underscoring in hell) which culminates in all the students singing and dancing on the cafeteria tables (FAME--and the Act Two rousing-chorus closing is also a transparent swipe from "I Sing the Body Electric.")

I know this show's fans aren't old enough to recognize these influences, but don't they see how regressive and recycled this contraption of a show is?

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Because no one could sue them for those reasons.

Homage--a plaigarism your lawyer tells you is not actionable.

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Everything comes from something. Accept the success of HSM as it is giving everyone in this business lots of work.

Essentially for the reasons everyone else has mentioned. You cannot copyright general themes, according to the Supreme Court, and unless HSM took the words/music from the other shows there is no possible lawsuit.

If you are so disgusted that Disney ripped these parts. Why are you even involved with a production?

blah blah blah High School Musical blah blah blah.

Otherwise the four Intel notes could be sued by the Jules Styne estate as plagiarizing the opening of "Everything's Coming Up Roses."


I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure you can't sue the actual notes.

Okay. That's intentional homage and parody. I did HSM 1 and music-directed HSM 2, both of which are heavily adapted to the stage to include a number of Broadway pop cultural references most definitely NOT in the movie. They're more blatant in HSM 2 On Stage, but still it's intentional and made as homage and parody more than as a rip off.

Didn't Disney have legal problems with The Lion King and the Japanese animation studio responsible for Kimba the White Lion which Disney blatantly ripped off, right down to the look of some of the characters?


edited to add link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p2VXN0xDTY

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Updated On: 6/21/09 at 11:24 PM

As Just_John said, try getting that through legal.

HAIRSPRAY also had a few 'homages' in it to the other shows.

Mama Rose's "...for ME!" ending from GYPSY in "The Big Dollhouse"
The multi-level set for ""Without Love" ala "The Telephone Hour" from BYE BYE BIRDIE
Penny's "... I'm a pretty girl, mommma" -- direct line from GYPSY

I'm sure there were a few others in there as well.

Also, THE PRODUCERS had a few 'homages' in it as well.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery!

What was your point, again?