Court Opinion

ID: 9472055
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 03:48:11.313392+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:42:43.317988
License: Public Domain

PIERCE, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
I concur fully in the majority opinion and write separately only to address the following point.
The district court made an express determination, albeit reduced to a footnote, that “the 1909 Act governs this lawsuit because the 1976 Copyright Act did not take effect until January 1, 1978.” Cortner v. Israel, 568 F.Supp. 1217, 1218 n. 3 (S.D.N.Y.1983). The district court could have resolved the standing issue without deciding whether the 1909 Act or the 1976 Act applied. Since the district court did make this distinction, it is appropriate for this court to explain why we disagree with the district court’s determination. As the majority opinion makes clear, on the facts of this case, the appellants herein had standing to sue both under the 1909 Copyright Act and the 1976 Copyright Act. Determinations of important questions as to which of the Copyright Acts applies when events occur that seem to come within the scope of both Acts will have to await another case and another day.