A Florida jury found that David DeFalco infringed Vlado Hreljanovic's copyright in Just Before Dawn and awarded $46,000 in statutory damages. Variety reports that the October 20 verdict followed four years of litigation. DeFalco says he is preparing to request another trial.
The dispute over an older licence
Hreljanovic helped finance the 1981 horror film with his father. He had agreed to a six-year licence with Bill Olsen in 2012 and allowed it to lapse in 2018. He later challenged streaming and DVD exploitation he said he had not authorised.
DeFalco, an Olsen business associate, said Olsen gave him the title to license to Shudder. His legal position questioned Hreljanovic's chain of title. Other defendants settled, while DeFalco continued to trial.
A verdict with further steps possible
After two days of testimony and a day of deliberations, the jury found for Hreljanovic. His lawyer said the ownership chain had been established across decades. An allegation that a transfer document was forged belongs to the plaintiff's lawyers as reported, rather than an independent criminal finding.
DeFalco says he does not intend to pay and plans a new-trial request. The award is therefore a reported verdict, not a confirmed payment or proof that every legal step is over.
The next developments concern any motion he files and Hreljanovic's stated plan for a 4K restoration next year. Those remain prospective steps.