Owen Wilson responds on Dupree knock-off charges by Steely Dan

USAToday: In a statement released by his spokeswoman, Ina Treciokas, [Owen] Wilson said: "I have never heard the song 'Cousin Dupree' and I don't even know who this gentleman, Mr. Steely Dan, is. I hope this helps to clear things up and I can get back to concentrating on my new movie, HEY 19. "

This episode looks more like a publicity stunt than an intellectual property event. One does note that, in copyright but NOT patent, "independent creation" is a defense. But it's hard to believe that Owen Wilson never heard of Steely Dan, so this looks like mutual backscratching more than a lawsuit in the making.