Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/492/198/2308959/
Timestamp: 2019-10-20 14:39:31
Document Index: 234182244

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 13', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 13', '§ 13']

Testa v. Janssen, 492 F. Supp. 198 (W.D. Pa. 1980) :: Justia
Testa v. Janssen, 492 F. Supp. 198 (W.D. Pa. 1980)
US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania - 492 F. Supp. 198 (W.D. Pa. 1980)
492 F. Supp. 198 (1980)
Jimmy TESTA, John Thomas, and Carl Thomas, Plaintiffs,
Danny JANSSEN, Bobby Hart, Jeff S. Wald, Helen Reddy, Pocket Full of Tunes, Inc., Capitol Records, Inc., and The Big Apple Music Company, Defendants.
On Petition for Reconsideration June 24, 1980.
*199 *200 Irving M. Portnoy, Pittsburgh, Pa., for plaintiff.
Robert D. Yeager, G. Daniel Carney, Pittsburgh, Pa., Robert Osterberg, New York City, for defendants.
Goldner expressed interest in the song and contacted plaintiffs several weeks later to suggest that a recording be made by a singer named James Coit Jackson. A meeting was arranged between Goldner, Jackson, and the Thomases at Goldner's office. At this meeting and on a later occasion, plaintiffs allege Goldner disclosed that he had or would contact defendant, Pocket Full of Tunes, Inc., a music publisher, through its president, Wes Farrell, concerning possible publication of the composition.[1] Goldner is now deceased and was never deposed by any party.
Pocket Full of Tunes registered a claim of copyright for "Keep on Singing" on December 8, 1972, at number Eu 377 426 and on February 8, 1973, at number Ep 313 873. *201 Licenses were granted to several recording companies and the song was recorded by Helen Reddy for Capitol Records in 1974. In June of 1977, Pocket Full of Tunes sold or otherwise transferred its copyright to "Keep on Singing" to defendant, The Big Apple Music Company.
[S]uch a defense is recognized only rarely, when the plaintiff's transgression is of serious proportions and relates directly to the subject matter of the infringement action. Such a defense has thus been recognized where the plaintiff misused the process of the courts by falsifying a court order, or by falsifying evidence, or where plaintiff misrepresented to the court and to the opposing party the scope of his copyright, or where he obtained information as to the nature of defendant's work through unfair means. The defense of unclean hands will be denied where the plaintiff's transgression is of an extraneous, immaterial, or inconsequential nature ....
3 M. Nimmer, Copyright § 13.09[B] (1978).
Vogue Ring Creations, Inc. v. Hardman, 410 F. Supp. 609 (D.R.I.1976) illustrates the type of transgression that warrants application of the doctrine of unclean hands. In Vogue Ring, the plaintiff's copyright application omitted the fact of publication prior to receipt of a copyright. Prior publication voids a common law copyright and places a work within the public domain. See 1 Nimmer, Copyright § 4.01[B] (1978). Since the plaintiff's misrepresentation went to the very validity of the copyright, the district court held that the doctrine of unclean hands barred the claim. 410 F. Supp. at 616.
A common law copyright arises from the moment a work is created and continues until publication. Nimmer, supra at § 4.01[B]. Publication occurs "when by consent of the copyright owner, the original or tangible copies of a work are sold, leased, *202 loaned, given away, or otherwise made available to the general public." Id. at § 4.04.
Defendants contend that prior to registration of the copyright in November 1971, one Chuck Marshall recorded "Kept on Singing." However, Philip Lipari, the author and owner of the common law copyright, submitted an affidavit averring that Marshall's recording was without authorization or consent.[2] Since the consent of the copyright owner is essential to a finding of "publication," Bartok v. Boosey & Hawkes, 523 F.2d 941, 945 (2d Cir. 1975), a genuine question of fact is extant and precludes the entry of summary judgment on this issue.
In order to establish copyright infringement, plaintiffs must prove (1) ownership of the copyright and (2) copying by the defendants. 3 M. Nimmer, Copyright §§ 13.01 and 13.02[A] (1978). Defendants concede plaintiffs' ownership of a copyright to "Kept on Singing." Their summary judgment materials assail the second element of plaintiffs' claim, the alleged copying by Janssen and Hart.
There is seldom direct evidence of copying and, therefore, proof is ordinarily directed to a showing that: (1) the person or persons who composed a particular work had access to the copyrighted work; and (2) the work is substantially similar to the copyrighted piece. Id. at § 13.01[B]; Ferguson v. National Broadcasting Co., Inc., 584 F.2d 111, 113 (5th Cir. 1978). If the two works are so strikingly similar so as to preclude the possibility of independent creation, direct proof of access is unnecessary. 584 F.2d at 113.
Plaintiffs sole evidence on the issue of access consists of hearsay evidence from the Thomases and James Coit Jackson that on several occasions Goldner informed them he had contacted Pocket Full of Tunes and Wes Farrell and requested publication of the song.[3] As previously noted, Goldner died following the events of 1971 and 1972, and Morton Wax, who was present during the initial meeting with Goldner, has testified that he is unable to corroborate plaintiffs' assertion that Goldner admitted contacting Pocket Full of Tunes concerning publication.[4]
To support a finding of access, plaintiffs' evidence must extend beyond mere speculation or conjecture. And, while circumstantial evidence is sufficient to establish access, Franklin Mint Corp. v. National Wildlife Art Exchange, Inc., 575 F.2d 62, 64 (3d Cir. 1978), a defendant's opportunity *203 to view the copyrighted work must exist by a reasonable possibility not a bare possibility. Ferguson v. National Broadcasting Co., 584 F.2d 111, 113 (5th Cir. 1978). We hold that no genuine issue of fact is extant with respect to the question of access in this case.[5]
In an able and authoritative article, Jeffrey Sherman discusses the meaning of "strikingly similar" and its distinction from the concept of "substantially similar." See Sherman, Musical Copyright Infringement: The Requirement of Substantial Similarity, 22 ASCAP Copyright L.Symp. 81 (1977). The author notes that "something less than note-for-note identity ... will permit plaintiff to dispense with direct proof of access." Sherman, supra at 83. Of particular significance is the existence of common errors in the two works and unusual departures from normal metric structure. Id. at 85, citing Polk and Co. v. Musser, 105 F. Supp. 351 (E.D.Pa.), aff'd 196 F.2d 1020 (3d Cir. 1952).
To prove that certain similarities are `striking,' plaintiff must show that they are the sort of similarities that cannot satisfactorily be accounted for by a theory of coincidence, independent creation, prior common source, or any theory other than that of copying. Striking similarity is an extremely technical issue one with which, understandably, experts are best equipped to deal. The question of substantial similarity, on the other hand, ought to be answered by means of the audience test. ...
In the instant case, plaintiffs have submitted the reports of two experts as supplements to their pre-trial narrative statements. In one, Frank Jarema opines that "the song `Keep on Singing' . . . contains some variations in lyrics, notes and values of notes from . . . `Kept on Singing' and the Jackson recording, but is strikingly similar to both." In the other report, Dr. Joseph W. Jenkins, Professor of Music at Duquesne University, who undertook an extensive analysis of the two songs, concludes that "the similarity between the two songs in question was striking."
This case is distinguishable from Ferguson v. National Broadcasting Co., supra, where the court ordered summary judgment on the issue of striking similarity. In Ferguson, the plaintiff failed to present the report of any expert on the question of *204 striking similarity and the defendant submitted the reports of two experts who concluded that the similarities were minor in nature. 584 F.2d at 114. The existence of "striking similarities" between plaintiffs' and defendants' song is clearly a disputed material fact in this case. Defendants' motions for summary judgment must be denied.
In their motion for reconsideration, defendants assert that the court has dispensed with the need to find access in order for copying to have occurred. This is not our holding. We have held only that, where striking similarities between two works are present, direct proof of access may be dispensed with since access may be inferred from the very existence of such marked similarities. As Jeffrey Sherman, in an authoritative article, has explicated, "Access (Proved by striking similarity) = copying." Sherman, Musical Copyright Infringement: The Requirement of Substantial Similarity, 22 ASCAP Copyright L. Symp. 81, 83 (1977). Stated another way, proof of striking similarity is a means by which the trier of fact may find access.
Defendants' argument that summary judgment must be granted since the issue of access has been removed from the case is *205 a semantical exercise. As we have stated, proof of direct access is unnecessary where striking similarities between two works are present. The existence of such similarities permits the trier of fact to find access and authorizes the finding that copying has occurred.
[1] The competency of such hearsay evidence in a summary judgment proceeding will be discussed in this opinion.
[2] See paragraph 6 of Affidavit of Philip J. Lipari.
[3] See depositions of Carl Thomas at 107-108 and James Coit Jackson at 12-13.
[4] See deposition of Morton D. Wax at 30, 31 and 39.
[5] Plaintiffs contend that summary judgment is inappropriate in a copyright infringement action where the "slightest doubt" exists as to the facts. Arnstein v. Porter, 154 F.2d 464 (2d Cir. 1946). This is dated law. See Ferguson v. National Broadcasting Co., supra at 114; Scott v. Paramount Pictures Corp., 449 F. Supp. 518 (D.C.1978), aff'd, 607 F.2d 494 (D.C.Cir. 1979).