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Angelina Jolie sued over copyright

Los Angeles - Angelina Jolie is being sued for copyright infringement. 

Croatian journalist James Braddock claims the Oscar-winning actress's upcoming directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, is based on his book The Subject Work, which he published in 2007.

In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Illinois, Mr Braddock claims he met with producer Edin Sarkic - who is now working on Angelina's movie - several times throughout 2008 to discuss the possibility of his tome being adapted for the big screen, X17 reports.

He maintains the pair talked about the details of the book, which similarly to In the Land of Blood and Honey documents the love story between a female prisoner and a Serbian soldier, "including plot and character development and the story's cultural significance and historical accuracy".

A judge will now have to determine whether "the claimed obvious similarities meet the high threshold needed to prove copyright infringement".

Mr Braddock is seeking an injunction to block the film's scheduled release on December 23, as well as unspecified damages.

Legal woes

This is the latest blow for Angelina, as she and partner Brad Pitt are also being sued for $87 566 in an unfair dismissal case by their former secretary Ana Charlotiaux, who worked at the couple's Chateau Miraval estate in the South of France until February 2010.

At a recent hearing, Ana's lawyer Emmanuel Ludot said: "She is not asking for much - just fair compensation for wrongful dismissal.

"This money is a drop in the ocean for these stars. She has nothing against them personally, and says she was always treated well by them, but they did not step in to prevent her being dismissed." 

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