Opinion ID: 699204
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Lanham Act and Unfair Competition Claims.

Text: 49 Agee's Lanham Act and unfair competition claims require relatively little discussion. To state a claim for damages under the Lanham Act, Agee must allege a false representation of the source of his sound recording and actual confusion by consumers as to the source. See PPX Enterprises, Inc. v. Audiofidelity Enterprises, Inc., 818 F.2d 266, 271 (2d Cir.1987). Agee alleges that by failing to attribute the recording to him in the credits of Hard Copy, and by playing his recording while the credits were being shown, Paramount misrepresented the source of the recording or at least suggested that it owned a copyright in the recording. 50 However, Agee has alleged no facts suggesting that appellees deliberately engaged in a deceptive commercial practice designed to deceive the public as to the source of the product. Resource Developers, Inc. v. Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., 926 F.2d 134, 140 (2d Cir.1991). There is no allegation that appellees intentionally used Agee's sound recording to deceive the public, nor is there any factual allegation that the public was in any way confused as to the source of the sound recording as a result of Paramount's failure to attribute that recording to Agee. 51 As the District Court found, Agee based his Lanham Act claim entirely on the fact that appellees made unauthorized use of his sound recording without paying him a royalty or recognizing him in the credits to the program. See Merchant v. Lymon, 828 F.Supp. 1048, 1060 (S.D.N.Y.1993) (extending Lanham Act to cover circumstances where an artist has not been properly credited for his ownership would simply transform every copyright action into a Lanham Act action as well). Consequently, dismissal of the Lanham Act claim for failure to state a cause of action was appropriate. 52 Similarly, Agee's state law unfair competition claim is baseless. Although Agee alleges that appellees' use of his sound recording has caused a diminution of good will by connecting his sound recording to criminal activities or associating it with Hard Copy, Agee has failed to plead facts indicating that his record sales or licensing revenues have in any way been affected by Paramount's use of the recording. There is no reasonable ground for believing that Agee has suffered economic losses as a result of appellees' actions, or that consumers think less of the recording.