Writer sues creator of "Yellowstone" alleging copyright infringement

A copyright infringement suit filed in federal court alleges that Taylor Sheridan and the production companies behind the series "Yellowstone" used elements from a 2016 pitch submitted by writer Lauren J. Salkin. Salkin says she spent more than ten years developing a drama titled "Sovereign Nation," which focused on tribal governance, casino-driven economic power and a land-development conflict. She submitted the pitch to Sheridan’s representatives in late 2016 and received a rejection in February 2017.

The complaint states that after the pitch was rejected, Paramount greenlit "Yellowstone," which premiered in June 2018 and ran for five seasons. Salkin’s lawyers argue that the show contains "specific expressive choices" that were already embodied in her proposal, including a tribal casino as a political hub, a confrontation in the casino office over land expansion, and the use of trust land and 99-year lease structures as plot devices. The suit also notes that actors Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham, suggested by Salkin, were later cast in "Yellowstone" in roles that mirror those described in her deck.

"When the works are objectively compared, the same coordinated design repeatedly appears: casino-centered institutions organize political power; the same unusual land-development mechanisms propel the conflict; parallel scenes perform the same dramatic functions; and the same actors appear in materially parallel roles," the complaint reads.

Salkin seeks monetary damages tied to the series’ profits and an injunction to prevent further use of the disputed material. Her attorney, Paul B. Lackey, described the case as a "David-versus-Goliath" situation and said they will pursue all legal avenues to obtain justice.