"Flashdance" Studio, J.Lo in the Clear

California appeals court upholds lower court's decision to deny a former dancer who was the inspiration for Flashdance any copyright interest in the 1983 film

By Natalie Finn Jun 13, 2006 11:25 PMTags

Maureen Marder may have inspired a movie, a fashion statement and a J.Lo video, but she couldn't rouse a judge to rule that she'd been ripped off.

A California court has again rejected Marder's ongoing bid to gain a copyright interest in Flashdance and in turn collect a portion of the more than $150 million that the Adrian Lyne-directed drama has grossed since Jennifer Beals first burst onto the scene in a torn sweatshirt and legwarmers.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Monday upheld a lower court's decision that Marder, the real-life inspiration for the 1983 movie, signed over her rights to the film's story long ago.

Marder, a former construction worker and exotic dancer, inked a deal with Paramount Pictures Corp. in 1982 and collected $2,300 for her efforts.

The three-judge panel stated in its ruling that, looking back at the original agreement, it "appears to be unfair." But, the judges said, "there is simply no evidence that [Marder's] consent was obtained by fraud, deception, misrepresentation, duress or undue influence."

The appeals court also affirmed a prior decision to dismiss Marder's lawsuit against Sony Corp. and Jennifer Lopez. Marder had argued that the video for "I'm Glad," featuring J.Lo replicating a number of Beals' moves (and outfits) from the original film, was an unauthorized depiction of her life.

Lopez took on many of Flashdance's most famous scenes, from the sweaty solo workout to the water-enhanced strip tease to the triumphant audition. Pretty much the only thing the singer didn't do was crack into a lobster with her bare hands.

While Marder's attempts to share in the feeling have failed so far, Lopez's label, Epic Records, did settle with Paramount for an undisclosed amount in 2003 when the studio protested that J.Lo's video violated its Flashdance copyright. Paramount sent Sony, Epic's parent company, a letter in May 2003 pointing out that the record company had neither asked permission nor paid to model "I'm Glad" on scenes from the film.

Minus the wild curls and off-the-shoulder sweatshirt, Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony lent a little star power to the Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday in New York, where the couple marched along with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"The Puerto Rican parade has been a long-standing tradition in my life. It was always an event that I looked forward to every single year," Anthony told the Associated Press.