Can the film crew get sued for making a documentary on an invention the guy didn't create but says h

First:


Second:
I doubt it. In fact it seems to me that it would work into your favor if you research and uncover who actually has the patent on the actual invention in question.

As documentaries go? Your original documentary sounds kind of meh-ish. With this new twist? It just added a more interested dimension to the whole thing.

I love documentaries and seen countless dozen in the movie theaters so let us know if and when it gets a limited run in NYC.

So get a lawyer. Also use him in your own documentary as perhaps an expert witness on patent law which might be a really drudge of a bore will likely need to be explained to some degree if you're going to add the actual patent holder into the documentary's story.

Well, anyone can get sued by anybody for anything. Whether they will win is an entirely different matter.

Rather than consulting a lawyer, perhaps the first person you should contact is your insurance agent. If you carry liability insurance, they'll let you know whether defamation claims are covered under your policy. If you don't carry liability insurance, then you probably shouldn't be making films at all.