Makers of "Syriana" deny plagiarism in French court

The makers of the US geopolitical thriller movie "Syriana" denied in a Paris court a claim that they had stolen the idea from a French writer.

Warner Brothers and actor George Clooney's production company Section Eight are being sued by Stephanie Vergniault who claims "Syriana" is based on a script which she wrote in 2004.

She is claiming two million euros (2.55 million dollars) and 35 percent of receipts.

But lawyers for the film-makers told the court that the two works bore no similarity, and that filming of "Syriana" was already well advanced by the time they supposedly became aware of Vergniault's script.

Directed by Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana" is about Middle Eastern oil, US politics and international finance. It opened in the United States in November.

The court is to rule in the plagiarism suit on June 19.