I found an article published on TV.com back in 2005 which said that Spinner had sued ABC, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof in August, 2005, claiming they stole the idea that he had pitched to the network in 1977 — the same claim he is making in the new lawsuit he filed this week.
That 2005 lawsuit must be the one that TMZ said was dismissed for procedural reasons.
