Opinion ID: 4556094
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Total Concept and Feel

Text: Finally, in addition to the three limitations on copyright discussed above, where the total concept and feel of competing works is different, we will not find infringement. See Tufenkian Imp./Exp. Ventures, Inc. v. Einstein Moomjy, Inc., 338 F.3d 127, 134-35 (2d Cir. 2003). In this vein, our independent comparison of the two works confirms that the total concept and feel of the Videogame is different from that of Discovery. Discovery builds on decades of Star Trek plot lines, themes, and stories, referring back to original characters and settings from previous series taking place in the same universe involving the same everlasting conflict between the Federation and the Klingons. 35 For example, like previous renditions of Star Trek, Discovery includes storylines depicting Klingons and the human-Vulcan alliance. Discovery follows the Klingon character Voq, who is tasked with the mission to keep the Klingon houses together. Discovery also highlights the difficulties of the dynamic between humans and Vulcans that was first explored in the original Star Trek in the relationship between Leonard McCoy and Spock. Most clearly, Burnham is the adopted daughter of Spock's parents, his father Sarek (a Vulcan) and his mother Amanda (a human). Burnham's interactions with her adopted father and the human-Vulcan alliance further allude to earlier renditions of Star Trek. Discovery also answers questions posed in previous Star Trek series, such as the tensions leading to the Klingon War depicted in the original series. In contrast, the Videogame's total concept and feel is unclear as it is composed of multiple, disjointed vignettes depicting interactions among seven characters. See App'x at 73-76. While the plot of the Videogame, which takes place in 20,000 BC as opposed to the distant future, follows Carter -- a blonde male botanist living in space -- and contains themes including slavery, secrecy[,] and espionage, App'x at 71, the total concept and feel is not substantially similar when compared to the consistent plot lines presented in Discovery. 36 Abdin's short video teasers and trailers reveal only that Tardigrades appears to be a point-and-click game heavily focused on the completion of puzzles to explore space. See Suppl. App'x at 131 (Game Trailer 1). The trailers also suggest that the Videogame appears to have an ancient Egyptian mythological influence. See, e.g., Suppl. App'x at 133 (Teaser #10). In comparison, Discovery is a fully developed science fiction television series continuing established Star Trek storylines with well-known characters and crossovers to original Star Trek themes and plots. In conclusion, we hold that Abdin failed to plausibly allege substantial similarity between Discovery and the Videogame as a matter of law. Overall, the presence of Ripper the tardigrade in Discovery is minimal, as it only appears in three episodes. The main storyline in Discovery focuses on the continuation of storylines beginning in the original Star Trek series and continuing throughout the decades of Star Trek spinoffs and movies. Thus, after extracting the unprotectible elements from Abdin's Videogame -- the scientific facts, general ideas, science fiction themes constituting scènes à faire, and generalized character traits -- we hold that the Videogame and Discovery are not substantially similar because the protectible elements, as described above, are markedly different. See Gaito, 602 F.3d at 66 (when applying the more discerning 37 test, this Court must extract the unprotectible elements from our consideration and ask whether the protectible elements, standing alone, are substantially similar (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)). The district court did not err in dismissing the TAC.