Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_06-cv-01122/USCOURTS-azd-2_06-cv-01122-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 820
Nature of Suit: Copyright
Cause of Action: 17:501 Copyright Infringement

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Fonovisa, Inc., a California corporation;

Sony BMG Music Entertainment, a

Delaware general partnership; and UMG

Recordings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, 

Plaintiffs,

v.

Juan Estrada and Yolanda Estrada, husband

and wife,

Defendants.

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No.CV: 06-1122-PHX-SMM

ORDER 

Pending before the Court is Plaintiffs' Motion for Entry of Default Judgment against

Defendants (Doc. 15), filed pursuant to Rule 55 of the Federal Rules fo Civil Procedure, and

the Local Rules of this Court. 

Upon entry of default, a district court may enter default judgment under certain

circumstances, except against an infant or incompetent unless represented by a general guardian,

committee, conservator, or other individual who has appeared before the Court. FED. R. CIV.

P. 55(b)(2). The district court's decision to enter default judgment is discretionary, and it is

within the court's power to decline to enter default judgment in favor of a party whose claims

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are meritless. Aldabe v. Aldabe, 616 F.2d 1089, 1092-93 (9th Cir. 1980). When evaluating

whether or not to enter default judgment, a district court may also consider, among other things,

the sufficiency of the complaint, Alan Neuman Prods., Inc. v. Albright, 862 F.2d 1388, 1392

(9th Cir. 1988), the sum at stake, Eitel v. McCool, 782 F.2d 1470, 1472 (9th Cir. 1986), and

whether the default was due to excusable neglect, Id. at 1472.

On April 13, 2007, the Clerk fo the Court entered the default of the Defendants. Despite

this, the Court has yet to receive any type of responsive pleading from Defendants. The default

established Defendants' liability to Plaintiffs for copyright infringement. The judgment sought

by Plaintiffs is the minimum statutory damages provided by Section 504 of the Copyright Act

($750) for each of the eight (8) infringements alleged in the Complaint, for a total of $6,000.00

and injunction pursuant to Section 502 of the Copyright Act.

Section 504(a) of the Copyright Act provides that "an infringer of copyright is liable

for...(2) statutory damages, as provided by subsection (c)." 17 U.S.C. § 504(a)(2). Section

(c)(1) provides that "the copyright owner may elect, at any time before the final judgment is

rendered, to recover, instead of actual damages and profits, an award of statutory damages for

all infringements involved in the action, with respect to any one work...in a sum not less than

$750 or more than $3,000 as the court considers just." 17 U.S.C. § 504(c)(1). Plaintiff need

not prove actual damages to be entitled to an award of statutory damages. Under the Act, the

copyright owner may elect to recover statutory damages, instead of actual damages and

defendant's profits. Furthermore, he may make such an election regardless of the adequacy of

the evidence offered as to his actual damages and the amount of defendant's profits, even if he

has intentionally declined to offer such evidence, although it was available. Columbia Pictures

Television, Inc. v. Krypton Broad. of Birmingham, Inc., 259 F.3d 1186, 1194 (9th Cir. 2001). 

The Court finds that because Plaintiffs seek only the minimum statutory damages and

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such damages are easily ascertainable from the Complaint, no evidentiary hearing is necessary.

As to the injunction, Section 502(a) of the Copyright Act specifically provides for

injunctive relief to prevent continued infringement. "Any court having jurisdiction of a civil

action arising under this title may, subject to the provisions of section 1498 of title 28,

grant...final injunctions on such terms as it may deem reasonable to prevent or restrain

infringement of a copyright. 17 U.S.C. § 502(a). 

Here, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants' infringing conduct is causing irreparable injury

and cannot fully be compensated or measured in money. Moreover, they allege that they are

certain to suffer continued injury in the future unless the Court enjoins the Defendants from

continuing to infringe on Plaintiffs' copyrights. See Complaint, ¶ 15. 

The Court finds that Fonovisa, Inc., a California corporation; Sony BMG Music

Entertainment, a Delaware general partnership; and UMG Recordings, Inc., a Delaware

corporation, have a meritorious claim, to the amount requested in its motion(), and the default

by Defendants was not apparently due to excusable neglect, as he had notice of the instant

lawsuit. Therefore, default judgment against Defendants Juan Estrada and Yolanda Estrada and

in favor of Plaintiffs Fonovisa, Inc., a California corporation; Sony BMG Music Entertainment,

a Delaware general partnership; and UMG Recordings, Inc., a Delaware corporation is

appropriate and will be entered accordingly.

Based upon Plaintiffs' Motion For Default Judgment By The Court, and good cause

appearing therefor, 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1. Defendants shall pay damages to Plaintiffs for infringement of Plaintiffs'

copyrights in the sound recordings listed in Exhibit A to the Complaint, in the total principal

sum of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00).

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2. Defendants shall pay Plaintiffs' costs of suit herein in the amount of Eight

Hundred Twenty Dollars ($ 820.00).

3. Defendants shall be and hereby are enjoined from directly or indirectly infringing

Plaintiffs' rights under federal or state law in the following copyrighted sound recordings:

• "Un Dia A La Vez," on album "16 Super Exitos," by artist "Los Tigres Del

Norte" (SR# 124-249);

• "Los Alambrados," on album "16 Exitos De Siempre," by artist "Los

Bukis" (SR# 137-077);

• "Necesito Una Companera," on album "16 Super Exitos," by artist "Los

Bukis" (SR# 149-919);

• "Con Que Derecho," on album "Asi Como Tu," by artist "Los Tigres Del

Norte" (SR# 245-138);

• "Human Nature," on album "Thriller," by artist "Michael Jackson" (SR#

41-965);

• "Smooth Criminal," on album "Bad," by artist "Michael Jackson" (SR#

84-256);

• "Mi Sangre Prisionera," on album "Unidos Para Siempre," by artist "Los

Tigres Del Norte" (SR# 221-706);

• "Lithium," on album "Nevermind," by artist "Nirvana" (SR# 135-335);

and in any other sound recording, whether now in existence or later created, that is owned or

controlled by the Plaintiffs (or any parent, subsidiary, or affiliate record label of Plaintiffs)

("Plaintiffs' Recordings"), including without limitation by using the Internet or any online media

distribution system to reproduce (i.e., download) any of Plaintiffs' Recordings, to distribute (i.e.,

upload) any of Plaintiffs' Recordings, or to make any of Plaintiffs' Recordings available for

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distribution to the public, except pursuant to a lawful license or with the express authority of

Plaintiffs. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants shall destroy all copies of Plaintiffs'

Recordings that Defendants have downloaded onto any computer hard drive or server without

Plaintiffs' authorization and shall destroy all copies of those downloaded recordings transferred

onto any physical medium or device in Defendants’ possession, custody, or control.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of Court shall enter judgment in favor of

Plaintiffs Fonovisa, Inc., a California corporation; Sony BMG Music Entertainment, a Delaware

general partnership; and UMG Recordings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and terminate this

action.

DATED this 23rd day of April, 2007.

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