ARTICLE · 28 MAY 2020

The Disaster Plaintiff: The Best Worst Litigation Strategy Created By And Starring Tommy Wiseau

Lenczner Slaght

CanadaIntellectual Property

The legacy of the movie The Room, Tommy Wiseau's infamously terrible 2003 cult classic, reached new heights (or lows depending on your point of view) last week when it made its mark on Canadian law in Justice Schabas' decision in Wiseau Studio, LLC v Harper. A movie lovingly advertised as providing a viewing experience akin to "getting stabbed in the head" prompted copyright litigation and, in the process, has provided a new story of the risks of pursuing an ill-advised litigation strategy through trial.

The Room premiered in 2003 to terrible reviews. Where many independent movies that open to bad reviews simply fade in the cultural zeitgeist, The Room, and its creator and star Mr. Wiseau, gained fame because of how exceptionally and remarkably bad The Room was. It is a rare film that is so bad that it turns out to be good.

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The Disaster Plaintiff: The Best Worst Litigation Strategy Created By And Starring Tommy Wiseau

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