Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-09-03010/USCOURTS-ca8-09-03010-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Tom J. Frye
Appellant
Russ Koos
Appellee
YMCA Camp Kitaki
Appellee

Document Text:

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The Honorable Lyle E. Strom, United States District Judge for the District of

Nebraska.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

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No. 09-3010

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Tom J. Frye,

Appellant,

v.

YMCA Camp Kitaki; Russ Koos,

Program Director,

Appellees.

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Appeal from the United States

District Court for the

District of Nebraska.

 [PUBLISHED]

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 Submitted: April 12, 2010

 Filed: August 20, 2010

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Before LOKEN, HANSEN, and MELLOY, Circuit Judges.

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HANSEN, Circuit Judge.

Tom Frye appeals the district court's1

 conclusion that the YMCA's play

KnightQuest does not infringe the copyright for his play Kastleland. We hold that the

district court's finding that the two plays are not substantially similar is not clearly

erroneous. Consequently, the YMCA did not infringe Frye's copyright, and we affirm.

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I.

The YMCA operates a summer camp in Nebraska called Camp Kitaki. The

camp features experience-based learning programs called "adventure trails." Frye is

a freelance author, who had written a medieval-themed play for use at police camps

and in schools. In 1986, he developed the play into an adventure trail called

Kastleland for use at the YMCA's Camp Kitaki. The program was performed from

1987 through 1998. Multiple and differing scripts appear in the record, and Frye

testified that the play developed over time and each production was unique.

Kastleland commences with a scene at a campfire. Stock medieval

characters—including a bard (a Robin Hood like character), a knight, and a female

character—are present and speak among themselves and to the campers about

impending danger from seven dragons. The result is that the campers become

involved in the play, agreeing to aid the medieval characters by going on a quest. On

the quest, campers undertake seven challenges and gain a "word of power" upon

completion of each challenge. One challenge involves swordplay and they earn the

word "courage." Two other challenges involve target shooting and the campers earn

the words "love" and "self-control." A fourth challenge involves using shields to

avoid getting wet while crossing a battlefield, and campers earn the word "nobility"

to defeat the dragon of selfishness. In the second version, campers meet at the "Round

Table" and are given a talk about drug abuse. Finally, there is a closing campfire

scene where the seven words of power are used to defeat the seven dragons. In some

versions of Kastleland, the words of power save one of the characters from drug

abuse. 

In 1998, Frye ended his association with the YMCA, and a dispute arose over

whether the YMCA could continue to produce Kastleland. The dispute was resolved

through a settlement agreement and a stipulated judgment in federal court, wherein the

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YMCA agreed not to infringe on Frye's copyright in Kastleland, and Frye agreed not

to enter onto YMCA property without permission.

Thereafter, the only adventure trail performed at Camp Kitaki was a junglethemed program,"Jungleland." In 2005, Russ Koos was hired as camp director, and

he wrote a medieval-themed adventure trail called KnightQuest. Camp Kitaki

introduced the new program in the summer of 2007.

KnightQuest opens at a campfire scene where two siblings, a friend, and a

wizard talk. An antagonist appears, supported by four "shadow lords." The shadow

lords have a creed featuring four words—hate, lies, disrespect, and irresponsibility.

The wizard enlists the protagonists and the campers in a quest to become knights so

they can defeat the shadow lords and their queen. On the quest, the children engage

in "trials of the code," where they learn four YMCA "core values." Two trials teach

responsibility. Another trial involves swordplay and teaches truthfulness. Another

involves shielding each other from thrown missiles and teaches caring. A final trial

involves target shooting, and the campers are rewarded for a successful shot by

earning a scroll bearing a saying about respect. Each trial ends with interactive

activities to reinforce the specific YMCA core value learned, along with some closing

words by the facilitator. At the end of the activities the campers learn the knights'

code (which reflects the four YMCA core values) and are knighted. KnightQuest

concludes with a closing campfire where the new knights recite their code, reforming

the shadow lords. 

In May 2008, Frye filed a complaint in federal district court in Nebraska. He

later moved the court to hold the YMCA in contempt for violating the stipulated

judgment entered in the 1998 lawsuit. The court allowed discovery and held a

hearing. Frye has never seen the production of KnightQuest, and before filing this

lawsuit he had not seen a script for KnightQuest. Frye testified about his Kastleland.

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He also called a witness who saw a production of Kastleland as an eight-year-old

camper and a production of KnightQuest ten years later. 

The district court found that "the characters in Kastleland are skeletal

archetypes and the plot is largely composed of scènes à faire," (Add. at 4), and that

Frye "failed to prove that KnightQuest is substantially similar to any protected

expression in his Kastleland copyright," (Add. at 7). Consequently, the district court

denied the motion for contempt and dismissed Frye's 2008 lawsuit. Frye appeals.

II.

Frye argues that the district court wrongly concluded that KnightQuest does not

infringe on his copyright to Kastleland. To establish his claim for copyright

infringement in the absence of direct evidence of copying, Frye must prove: (1) his

ownership of the copyright to Kastleland, (2) access by the YMCA to Kastleland, and

(3) substantial similarity between the two works. See Hartman v. Hallmark Cards,

Inc., 833 F.2d 117, 120 (8th Cir. 1987) (listing three elements). Frye does not allege

that the YMCA directly copied any portion of his play. Additionally, the ownership

and access elements are not at issue here. Consequently, our task on appeal is limited

to reviewing the district court's finding that Kastleland and KnightQuest are not

substantially similar. This court recently clarified that a district court's finding of

substantial similarity is reviewed for clear error. Taylor Corp. v. Four Seasons

Greetings, LLC, 403 F.3d 958, 964-66 (8th Cir. 2005) ("Taylor II").

"Determination of substantial similarity involves a two-step analysis."

Hartman, 833 F.2d at 120. "First, similarity of ideas is analyzed extrinsically,

focusing on objective similarities in the details of the works." Id. This is called step

one, or the extrinsic test. "Second, if there is substantial similarity in ideas, similarity

of expression is evaluated using an intrinsic test depending on the response of the

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The Constitution grants Congress the power "To Promote the Progress of

Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the

exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." U.S. Const. art. I, § 8,

cl. 8.

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ordinary, reasonable person to the forms of expression." Id. This is step two, or the

intrinsic test.

On the whole, the two-step test requires that the respective works must be

substantially similar, not only in their general ideas but also in their expression. Id.

This is because, pursuant to its Constitutionally enumerated power,2 Congress has

provided that "[i]n no case does copyright protection for an original work of

authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation,

concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described,

explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work." 17 U.S.C. § 102(b) (emphasis

added). The principle that a copyright does not protect ideas, but only the expression

of those ideas, is longstanding. See Mazer v. Stein, 347 U.S. 201, 217-18 (1954)

(citing Baker v. Selden, 101 U.S. 99 (1879)). Further, our case law recognizes that

the mere employment of scènes à faire—defined as "incidents, characters or settings

which are as a practical matter indispensable, or at least standard, in the treatment of

a given topic"—cannot amount to infringing conduct. Taylor Corp. v. Four Seasons

Greetings, LLC, 315 F.3d 1039, 1042 (8th Cir. 2003) ("Taylor I") (internal marks

omitted). In other words, similarities between two works " 'that are limited to

hackneyed elements cannot furnish the basis for finding substantial similarity.' " Id.

at 1043 (quoting Nimmer On Copyright § 13.03[B]4 at 13-75 (2002)). Thus, when

the only "similarities are either noncopyrightable ideas, scènes à faire, or of an

insubstantial nature" we have affirmed a district court's finding that no substantial

similarity exists. See Hartman, 833 F.2d at 121.

Kastleland and KnightQuest are both interactive plays conducted at the same

YMCA summer camp and employing a medieval theme. In each play, campers are

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Frye's counsel agreed at oral argument—and the aforementioned precedent

dictates—that we must filter out ideas and scènes à faire.

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invited to join the characters on a quest and are guided through multiple challenges

where they can acquire certain skills necessary to defeat the play's antagonists. The

YMCA's employment of that general idea cannot form the basis for a copyright

infringement claim. Frye argues that the two plays share additional similarities. Most

of those similarities are, however, required or at least standard to the plays' shared

hero-on-a-quest plot, medieval theme, and summer campfire setting. The challenges,

acquisition of skills, and use of the skills to defeat evil characters are ever-present in

the hero's journey. Most of the characters in each play are standard to a medieval

theme. Other elements, such as the opening and closing campfires and carnival-like

games, are dictated by the summer camp setting. After filtering out these ideas and

scènes à faire,

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 we agree that any remaining similarities between the two plays are

insubstantial. The district court's factual finding that no substantial similarity exists

between Kastleland and KnightQuest was not clearly erroneous.

III.

Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is affirmed.

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