James Cameron film Terminator 2: Judgment Day

An appeals court has ruled that an Australian couple can sue director James Cameron over an effect used in the film "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

Filia and Constantinos Kourtis claim that they came up with the idea for a character that changes shape for a 1987 movie called "The Minotaur."

The couple said in court papers that they hired a writer, William Green, to craft a screenplay. Later, they alleged, the screenplay was shared with Cameron, who directed and co-wrote "Terminator 2."

The science-fiction film, which starred Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger before he entered politics, was released in 1991 and featured a character that can change its appearance.

Green, who claimed he owned the copyright for the screenplay, filed an infringement lawsuit against Cameron and others after the film was released, but the suit was dismissed.

The Kourtises later challenged Green's ownership of the script in an Australian court and prevailed in 1998. The couple then filed their own lawsuit against Cameron, alleging that he used their concept without payment or credit.

The suit was dismissed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, but the couple appealed. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with them Monday and reinstated their suit.

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