Issue No. 045 · August 26, 2026
CopyrightFiledFilm / TV
Yellowstone Faces a New Copyright Suit
Writer Lauren J. Salkin sued Taylor Sheridan, Paramount, NBCUniversal, 101 Studios, and Elevate Entertainment, alleging that Yellowstone copied protected elements from her proposed series Sovereign Nation.
Key points
- Salkin says she submitted a pilot script, show bible, and pitch deck to Sheridan's management company in late 2016 and early 2017.
- The complaint alleges similarities involving tribal governance, casino-centered political power, land development, and a 99-year lease structure.
- Salkin also points to two actors she proposed for Sovereign Nation who later appeared in Yellowstone in allegedly parallel roles.
- The lawsuit seeks damages, profits tied to the alleged infringement, and injunctive relief.
Why it matters
This issue follows a common rights question across television, sports branding, fine art, and social media advertising: who controls the creative material that gives a commercial property its value?