Disney stole sports park idea

It was claimed that Disney stole 88 ideas for its theme park

By Fiona Werge

A jury in Florida has awarded $240m in damages against the Walt Disney company for stealing an idea for a sports park.

The jury found that Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World in Florida, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, was copied from proposals made earlier by a retired baseball umpire and an architect.

The court heard that the two businessmen, Nicholas Stracick and Edward Russell, presented their idea to Disney executives in 1987.

It was rejected two years later. But four years after that, Disney announced it would build a $100m complex, which opened in 1997.

Disney denial

The businessmen claimed there were 88 similarities between their plans and the sports park.

They said they had been deprived of more than $1.5bn since it opened.

Disney denied the claim, saying the complex was created by in-house designers.

But the jury found the company guilty of theft of trade secrets and breaking an implied contract.

A spokesman for Disney later said the company hoped to have the verdict set aside.