Naples' Bova says Avatar not plagiarized version of Altair

Ben Bova of Naples, Florida says that Avatar is NOT a plagiarized version of his own “The Winds of Altair,” first published in 1973.

After going through a detailed analysis of the similarities, Bova disposed of the plagiarism issue with few words:

James Cameron has not plagiarized my work. Plagiarism is when someone steals the words you’ve written and uses them as his own. Ideas are a different matter. Ideas can’t be copyrighted or patented. Ideas are free.

One might ponder "business method patents."

Bova DID have a problem with a FACTUAL PREMISE of Avatar:

This ["unobtainium"] is indeed a sticking point for me. The universe is made of pretty much the same stuff. It’s difficult to imagine a mineral existing on a planet of another star that doesn’t also exist within our own solar system — or, indeed, on Earth itself. It’s even more difficult to imagine any resource that’s so precious it could be profitably transported over interstellar distances. That just doesn’t make economic sense.

Hmmm, dilithium crystals, anyone? Could some crystalline solid be formed elsewhere under conditions not existing on earth? And how about the patent wars in pharma over polymorphs?

See also

http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2010/01/death-of-slush-pile.html