Prague court rejects authorship claim for ‘Anděl Páně’

A Prague court has issued a preliminary ruling in the long-standing authorship dispute regarding the fairy tale film ‘Anděl Páně’. The court rejected a lawsuit filed by screenwriter Lucie Konášová, who sought judicial confirmation that she is the sole author of the screenplay and libretto.

While the court dismissed the claim, the judge clarified that the ruling does not dispute Konášová’s original literary contribution, plot, or characters. Instead, the court concluded that she failed to prove exclusive authorship. Consequently, Konášová must cover the legal costs associated with the proceedings.

The conflict stems from the musical adaptation of the film performed at the Hudební divadlo Karlín. Director Jiří Strach had previously engaged in disputes regarding the use of passages he contributed as a director, claiming compensation for their use in the musical. Despite the legal tension between the former collaborators, Strach indicated that work on a third installment of the fairy tale series will proceed.