Another claim has been made against global 3D smash hit 'Avatar' director, James Cameron. An American author, Kelly Van, alleges that 'Avatar' movie makers have copied some parts of the movie from a novel she had written entitled 'Sheila the Warrior: The Damned'.

Van filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Cameron, production house Fox, and producers of the film at a California district court, seeking an injunction and maximum statutory damages. However, her complaint did not indicate how the movie's producers could have had access to her work.

Van alleges that there was substantial similarity in characters, setting, plot, visual effects, scenes, concept and feel. Van's 2003 novel follows two women who travel to another "breathtakingly beautiful" and peaceful planet, equipped with a nice ecosystem. The characters then fall in love with the locals, who also seemingly have "long braided hair growing beyond the buttocks", and have to deal with "bloodsuckers" intent on destroying the planet if they cannot get control of valuable minerals.

A spokesperson for Fox has called the suit "absolutely baseless" and that Cameron's "treatment for Avatar was written before Ms. Van alleges she even started to write her book." Development for Cameron's movie supposedly began in 1994 with an expected release in 1999, after the release of his blockbuster, 'Titanic', but felt that the technology at the time could not achieve the vision he had for the film.

Interestingly, since its release, Avatar has drawn comparisons to other notable productions where it was most significantly compared to Disney's 1995 animated film, 'Pocahontas'.