ðə ɹˈiːzən fɚðə dɪspjˈuːt wʌz ðæt ˌɑːɹkˌeɪˈoʊ wʌz ɐbˌaʊt tə ɹᵻlˈiːs ðə ɡˈeɪ fˈælkən ɪn ɑːktˈoʊbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi wˈʌn, ðə fˈɜːst fˈɪlm ɪn ðɛɹ nˈuː fˈælkən sˈɪɹiz, ænd lˈɛsli tʃˈɑːɹɾɚɹˌɪs fˈɛlt ðætðə fˈælkən wʌz nˈʌθɪŋ bˌʌt ɐ kˈɑːpi ʌv hɪz kˈæɹɪktɚ, ɛnhˈænst baɪ ðə fˈækt ðæt dʒˈɔːɹdʒ sˈændɚz plˈeɪd ðə fˈælkən.
The reason for the dispute was that RKO was about to release The Gay Falcon in October 1941, the first film in their new Falcon series, and Leslie Charteris felt that the Falcon was nothing but a copy of his character, enhanced by the fact that George Sanders played the Falcon.