Source: http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=cff1c293-da1b-4f68-8d7c-6415691194e8
Timestamp: 2017-07-22 10:49:31
Document Index: 85562755

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 101', '§ 1331', '§ 2291', '§ 1391', '§ 512', '§ 512', '§ 512', '§ 512']

Complaint | Sapient v Geller | Electronic Frontier Foundation - JDSupra
Sapient v GellerComplaint
EFF's client, Brian Sapient, belongs to a group called the "Rational Response Squad," which is dedicated to debunking what it calls irrational beliefs. As part of their mission, Sapient and others post videos to YouTube that they say demonstrate this irrationality. One of the videos that Sapient uploaded came from a NOVA program called "Secrets of the Psychics," which challenges the performance techniques of Geller. Despite the fact that only eight seconds of the over thirteen-minute video contain footage allegedly under copyright owned by Geller's corporation Explorogist Ltd. -- a classic fair use of the material for criticism purposes -- Geller filed a takedown demand with YouTube under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). That violates the DMCA requirement that copyright holders only send takedown notices for infringing content. Because of Geller's unlawful DMCA notice, Sapient's YouTube account was suspended, and his videos were not available for over two weeks. On May 8, 2007, EFF filed suit on behalf of Sapient, asking for damages due to Geller's violation of the DMCA, a declaratory judgment that the NOVA video does not infringe Geller's copyrights, and that Geller be restrained from bringing any further legal action against Sapient in connection to the clip. This is Sapient's complaint.
Download PDF -1-COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Jason Schultz (SBN 212600) jason@eff.org ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION 454 Shotwell Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Telephone: (415) 436-9333 x112 Facsimile: (415) 436-9993 Marcia Hofmann (pro hac vice pending) marcia@eff.org ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 650 Washington, DC 20009 Telephone: (202) 797-9009 x12 Facsimile: (202) 707-9066 Attorneys for Plaintiff JOHN DOE A/K/A BRIAN SAPIENT UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA JOHN DOE A/K/A BRIAN SAPIENT, Plaintiff, v. URI GELLER A/K/A URI GELLER FREUD and EXPLOROLOGIST LTD., Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Civil Action No. _______ COMPLAINT (Jury Trial Demanded) 1. This is a civil action seeking injunctive relief and damages for misrepresentation of copyright claims under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), as well as declaratory relief. 2. This case arises out of a baseless legal threat of copyright infringement made by the Defendants against Plaintiff. The threat resulted in the removal of a video Plaintiff posted to the popular Internet media website YouTube, as well as the suspension of Plaintiff’s YouTube account. Document hosted at http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=cff1c293-da1b-4f68-8d7c-6415691194e8-2-COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 PARTIES 3. Plaintiff John Doe a/k/a Brian Sapient (“Sapient”) is an individual residing in Pennsylvania. Due to Sapient’s controversial religious beliefs, which he discusses widely on Internet websites including www.myspace.com/briansapient and www.rationalresponders.com, he receives a substantial amount of abusive correspondence, including threats of physical harm against him. As a result, he uses the online pseudonym “Brian Sapient” to help ensure his safety, and seeks to proceed under that name in this case. 4. Upon information and belief, defendant Uri Geller a/k/a Uri Geller Freud (“Geller”) is an individual residing in Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire, England. 5. Upon information and belief, Defendant Explorologist Ltd. is a private limited company with its registered office located in London, England. 6. Upon information and belief, Geller is a director and controlling shareholder of Explorologist Ltd. JURISDICTION AND VENUE 7. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this claim pursuant to the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq.), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338, and the Declaratory Judgment Act (28 U.S.C. § 2291). 8. Sapient is informed, believes and thereon alleges that Defendants have sufficient contacts with this district generally and, in particular, with the events herein alleged, that he is subject to the exercise of jurisdiction of this Court. VENUE AND INTRADISTRICT ASSIGNMENT 9. Venue is proper in this district under 28 U.S.C. § 1391. 10. Assignment to the San Francisco division is proper pursuant to Local Rule 3-2(c) and (d) because a substantial portion of the events giving rise to this action occurred in this district and division. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS 11. On or about October 19, 1993, the Public Broadcasting Service (“PBS”) first aired “Secrets of the Psychics,” an episode of the popular television series NOVA. Document hosted at http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=cff1c293-da1b-4f68-8d7c-6415691194e8-3-COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 12. Sapient is a member of the Rational Response Squad, which describes itself as “an activist network that seeks to help the world overcome irrationality.” The Rational Response Squad’s activities include, inter alia, posting videos debunking what it maintains are irrational beliefs and theories on a popular website on the Internet known as “YouTube,” located at http://www.youtube.com. YouTube is a video-sharing website where millions of Internet users post videos and make them available to others for viewing. These videos range from traditional home videos of personal events, to news reports, to advertisements and television programs. Sapient and the Rational Response Squad rely on YouTube to reach thousands of audience members and promote their activist messages and campaigns online. 13. On November 15, 2006, Sapient uploaded a portion of the NOVA program “Secrets of the Psychics” (hereafter “NOVA Video”) from his computer to YouTube. The video was available at the Internet address <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9w7jHYriFo>. 14. The NOVA Video depicted, inter alia, the magician James Randi challenging the performance techniques of Geller, a well-known performer who claims to have psychic abilities. The video included clips from various Geller performances, such as one from the “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” in which Geller was unable to demonstrate his supernatural powers in front of a live studio audience. Upon information and belief, only three seconds of the content of the NOVA Video is subject to a copyright owned by Geller or Explorologist Ltd. Those three seconds show Dr. C. J. Hughes describing the alleged accomplishments of Geller at a public event. The validity of those accomplishments is then the subject of the rest of the video and the subject which Randi subsequently challenges. 15. On information and belief, on March 23, 2007, an agent of Explorologist Ltd. and Geller demanded that YouTube take down the NOVA Video pursuant to the DMCA, 17 U.S.C. § 512. By authorizing the demand, Geller and Explorolgist Ltd. attested under penalty of perjury that they owned or were authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive copyright that had been infringed by the video, and that the notice of infringement they sent was accurate. See Exhibit A & B. 16. On March 23, 2007, YouTube sent Sapient an email informing him that it had Document hosted at http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=cff1c293-da1b-4f68-8d7c-6415691194e8-4-COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 removed his video in response to a third-party claim of copyright infringement from Explorologist Ltd. A true and correct copy of this email is attached hereto as Exhibit C. 17. As a result of Defendants’ copyright infringement notice, Sapient’s YouTube account was suspended. Sapient quickly responded by submitting a counter-notification of noninfringement to YouTube under the DMCA on March 27, 2007. However, as a result of Defendant’s conduct, Sapient’s account and all of his videos (including, but not limited to, the NOVA Video) remained unavailable for more than two weeks. COUNT I: 17 U.S.C. 512(F) MISREPRESENTATION 18. Sapient repeats and incorporates herein by reference the allegations in the preceding paragraphs. 19. Upon information and belief, the NOVA Video does not infringe any copyright owned by Defendants. 20. Upon information and belief, Defendants knew or should have known if they acted with reasonable care or diligence that the NOVA Video did not infringe any of their copyrights on the date they sent their DMCA complaint to YouTube. Upon information and belief, Defendants did not act with reasonable care or diligence before sending their DMCA complaint to YouTube. 21. Defendants would have had no substantial doubt, had they been acting in good faith, that the NOVA Video did not infringe any of their copyrights on the date they sent their DMCA complaint to YouTube. Upon information and belief, Defendants were not acting in good faith while sending their DMCA complaint to YouTube. 22. Accordingly, Defendants violated 17 U.S.C. § 512(f) by knowingly materially misrepresenting under DMCA § 512 that the NOVA Video infringed their copyright. 23. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ actions, Sapient has suffered substantial and irreparable injury. Such injury includes, but is not limited to, the financial and personal expenses associated with responding to Defendants’ complaint to YouTube and harm to Sapient’s free speech rights under the First Amendment. COUNT II: DECLARATORY RELIEF OF NON-INFRINGEMENT 24. Sapient repeats and incorporates herein by reference the allegations in the preceding Document hosted at http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=cff1c293-da1b-4f68-8d7c-6415691194e8-5-COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 paragraphs. 25. There is a real and actual controversy between Sapient and Defendants regarding whether the NOVA Video constitutes infringement of a copyright lawfully owned by Defendants. 26. Sapient contends that, consistent with the Copyright Act of the United States of America, including those laws prohibiting direct, contributory or vicarious infringement, laws protecting fair use and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and judicial decisions construing such laws, doctrines, and provisions, publication of the NOVA video was and is lawful. 27. Wherefore, Sapient requests that the Court determine and adjudge that each and every one of the above-stated propositions states the law applicable to the facts involved in this action. PRAYER FOR RELIEF WHEREFORE, the Plaintiff prays for judgment as follows: A. A declaratory judgment that the NOVA Video posted by Plaintiff does not infringe any copyright owned by Defendants; B. Injunctive relief restraining Defendants, their agents, servants, employees, successors and assigns, and all others in concert and privity with them, from bringing any lawsuit or threat against Plaintiff for copyright infringement in connection with the NOVA Video, including but not limited to its publication, distribution, performance, display, licensing, or the ability to host it online or link to it from any website; C. Damages according to proof; D. Attorneys fees pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), other portions of the Copyright Act including Section 505, on a Private Attorney General basis, or otherwise as allowed by law; E. Plaintiff’s costs and disbursements; and F. Such other and further relief as the Court shall find just and proper. Plaintiff hereby requests a jury trial for all issues triable by jury including, but not limited to, those Document hosted at http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=cff1c293-da1b-4f68-8d7c-6415691194e8-6-COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 issues and claims set forth in any amended complaint or consolidated action. DATED: May 8, 2007 By Jason M. Schultz, Esq. ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION 454 Shotwell Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Telephone: (415) 436-9333 x112 Facsimile: (415) 436-9993 Marcia Hofmann (pro hac vice pending) ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 650 Washington, DC 20009 Telephone: (202) 797-9009 x12 Facsimile: (202) 707-9066 Attorneys for Plaintiff JOHN DOE A/K/A BRIAN SAPIENT Document hosted at http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=cff1c293-da1b-4f68-8d7c-6415691194e8