A lawsuit filed in federal court claims that Taylor Sheridan, renowned for creating the hit series ‘Yellowstone,’ copied the concept from Lauren J. Salkin, a journalist and screenwriter based in Virginia. The complaint accuses Sheridan and other entities, including Paramount and NBCUniversal, of using Salkin’s original series idea, named ‘Sovereign Nation.’
The lawsuit highlights that Salkin spent over a decade developing ‘Sovereign Nation,’ which focuses on tribal governance, casino economic power, and modern land disputes. The project had been copyrighted starting in 2010, with its pilot script given copyright protection in 2016. Salkin submitted this project to Sheridan’s management company, Elevate Entertainment, in 2017. She received a response stating that Sheridan was not available for TV projects at the time. Yet, soon after, Paramount approved ‘Yellowstone,’ premiering its first episode on June 20, 2018.
The legal document outlines several resemblances between the two series, asserting that ‘Yellowstone’ incorporated unique expressive elements from Salkin’s work. It points out that actors Gil Birmingham and Danny Huston, who appeared in ‘Yellowstone,’ were featured in Salkin’s pitch deck as potential cast members for her show. The lawsuit further claims that spin-offs of ‘Yellowstone,’ such as ‘1883,’ ‘1923,’ ‘Marshalls,’ and ‘Dutton Ranch,’ have elements rooted in Salkin’s creative work.
The lawsuit contends that copyright law does not shield general themes like a Western, land disputes, Indian casinos, or powerful families. Instead, it protects specific expressive choices and their arrangement, which Salkin argues were copied.
Salkin is asking for a jury trial, an order to prevent further copyright violations, and unspecified damages. ‘Yellowstone’ aired for five seasons from 2018 to 2024, and Sheridan’s creative prowess includes other projects like ‘Tulsa King,’ ‘Landman,’ and ‘Mayor of Kingston.’ He plans to relocate his production company from Paramount to NBCUniversal by 2029. Sheridan also received an Academy Award nomination in 2017 for the screenplay of ‘Hell or High Water.’