Universal reportedly contemplated suing the makers of Piranha on the dubious grounds that it ripped off their zeitgeist-capturing 1975 Jaws. This was before the landmark Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music case established that parody was protected speech under the First Amendment. It ended up being a moot point anyway since Steven Spielberg—whose eye for spotting and nurturing young talent rivals, if it does not exceed, that of Roger Corman—saw it and loved it. Spielberg correctly deemed it the best of the many maritime bloodbaths that followed his breakthrough film.
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