Woman Declares Chris Rock's Documentary 'rip-off', Case Dropped

A judge in Los Angeles District Court dismissed a plagiarism lawsuit against Chris Rock that claimed the comedian lifted a woman's ideas when he filmed a documentary about African-American hairstyles.

The claimant, Regina Kimbell, alleged that Rock's documentary, which premiered in the U.S. on Friday ripped off a documentary she made in 2005 called My Nappy Roots, EurWeb reports. Both Rock's documentary, Good Hair, and Kimbell's feature black celebrities discussing their hairstyles and the relationship they've had with the follicles atop their heads.

The woman sought $5 million in damages and remuneration, claiming she showed Rock her documentary in 2007 on the set of his TV series Everybody Hates Chris.

Rock maintained that the only similarity between the projects was the common topic.

In addition to interviewing celebrities, Rock's documentary takes viewers to beauty shops, hair shows and product-manufacturing plants throughout the U.S. and the world. Through the expose, Rock describes how hairstyles reflect the financial, psychological and personal influences of African American history.

The U.S. Copyright Office explains that a copyright owner is entitled to recover the actual damages suffered as a result of the infringement and any profits of the infringer that are attributable to the case at hand.