A U.S. cartoonist who falsely claimed to be creator of Kung Fu Panda has been sentenced to two years in prison for fraud, local media reported on Wednesday.
Jayme Gordon, 51, from Randolph, Massachusetts, was ordered Wednesday in a federal court in Boston to pay more than 3 million U.S. dollars in damages.
Gordon filed a copyright lawsuit in 2011 alleging that DreamWorks Animation had stolen characters and story from him for 2008 animated comedy. He proposed the company settle for 12 million dollars.
DreamWorks refused to settle, and litigation continued for a further two years, costing the studio 3 million in legal fees.
Prosecutors say Gordon fabricated and backdated drawings of characters similar to those seen in "Kung Fu Panda." He also deleted evidence from his computer and lied under oath.
