Source: http://pa.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20180329_0000765.EPA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 20:48:39+00:00

Document:
FindACase | Greenberg v. Scholastic, Inc.
Plaintiff Jeffrey Greenberg, a professional photographer, brings this suit against Defendant Scholastic, Inc. under the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq., for allegedly using his photographs in its publications without paying him. In response, Defendant has filed a Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint. For the reasons set forth below, Defendant's Motion shall be granted in part and denied in part.
In deciding a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), courts must accept all factual allegations as true, construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, and determine whether, under any reasonable reading of the complaint, the plaintiff may be entitled to relief. Phillips v. County of Allegheny, 515 F.3d 224, 233 (3d Cir. 2008) (internal quotation and citation omitted). After the Supreme Court's decision in Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, [t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Id. at 678 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). This standard asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully. Id. Accord Fowler v. UPMC Shadyside, 578 F.3d 203, 210 (3d Cir. 2009) (“[A]ll civil complaints must contain more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.”) (internal quotation marks omitted).
In order to plead a plausible copyright infringement claim, a plaintiff must allege ownership of a valid copyright and unauthorized use of the original, constituent elements of the work. See Star Athletica L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., 137 S.Ct. 1002, 1008 (2017); Tanikumi v. Walt Disney Co., 616 F. App'x 515, 519 (3d Cir. 2015); Kay Berry, Inc. v. Taylor Gifts, Inc., 421 F.3d 199, 203 (3d Cir. 2005); Dun & Bradstreet Software Servs. v. Grace Consulting, Inc., 307 F.3d 197, 206 (3d Cir. 2002); Tanksley v. Daniels, 259 F.Supp.3d 271, 280 (E.D. Pa. 2017); Cottrill v. Spears, Civ. No. 02-3646, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8823, at *14 (E.D. Pa. May 22, 2003).
The Copyright Act states that “no civil action for infringement of the copyright in any United States work shall be instituted until preregistration or registration of the copyright claim has been made in accordance with this title.” 17 U.S.C. § 411(a). Defendant herein asserts that the majority of photographs at issue lack a completed copyright registration, therefore no claims can be brought regarding use of those photographs.

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