Opinion ID: 3037655
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: “Any Matters”

Text: Marder recognizes that the Release absolves Paramount from claims based “in whole or in part upon any matters occurring at any time prior to the date of the release.” In its motion to dismiss, Paramount stated that this clause encompasses the current copyright claims brought by Marder in connection with Flashdance. Marder contends, however, that the 6536 MARDER v. LOPEZ word “matters” is ambiguous, and that it could reasonably be interpreted more narrowly than Paramount construes it. Marder makes two arguments in support of her claim. First, she says that the Release does not expressly refer to her status as a co-owner of the copyright or to her alleged writing contributions. She notes, additionally, that the Release does not explicitly mention copyright claims at all. Therefore, she claims that the Release does not preclude her from asserting a co-ownership or copyright interest in the work. [5] This argument contravenes the plain language of the Release, which states that Marder released Paramount from “each and every claim . . . of any kind or character.” As stated above, Marder knew that she was releasing her rights related to the creation of a movie at the time she signed the Release. Thus, it is reasonable to infer that when Marder signed the agreement, she knew or should have known that copyright claims “would fall within the scope of that broad language.” Jefferson, 48 P.3d at 427. Second, Marder claims that the word “matters” is susceptible to a narrower interpretation as “actionable conduct.” According to Marder, the “actionable conduct” here was the alleged infringement by Sony and Lopez in 2003, which occurred long after the date of execution of the Release. Therefore, Marder alleges that her claims are not precluded because the Release only applies to “matters” occurring “prior to the date of [the] Release.” [6] Admittedly, the word “matter” has a specialized legal definition: “A subject under consideration, [especially] involving a dispute or litigation; case.” Black’s Law Dictionary 992 (7th ed. 1999). But courts should interpret the words of a contract in their “ordinary and popular sense, rather than according to their strict legal meaning,” unless the parties attach a special or technical meaning. Cal. Civ. Code § 1644 (emphasis added). As Paramount points out, the common defMARDER v. LOPEZ 6537 inition of the word “matters” also includes the “events or circumstances of a particular situation.” Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary 733 (9th ed. 1991). [7] We read the Release to suggest that the parties did not intend “matters” to be interpreted in a strictly legal sense. The Release actually encourages a broad reading of “matters,” because it encompasses claims that “are based in whole or in part upon any matters occurring” prior to the date of the Release. Marder’s present copyright claims are rooted in the contributions she made to the screenplay before the execution of the Release. Thus, her claims are based at least “in part” on “matters” that occurred prior to the date of the Release.5