Court Opinion

ID: 9623828
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:44:13.529622+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:35.274466
License: Public Domain

WAHLQUIST, District Judge
(dissenting) .
I concur in the dissent of Justice Ellett, hut desire to make the following observations :
1st. The burden of proving that the architect had reserved ownership in these plans in question was upon the architect. The only evidence directly bearing on this issue was the architect’s testimony. The architect testified under oath that he had made a written contract with his client as to the construction of both of the buildings he had designed for his clients and that the contract was an approved form of his .association that reserved ownership in himself. On cross-examination he was asked to produce either one of the contracts, but he stated he was unable to do so. He was also challenged by defense counsel to produce either one of these contracts he alleged that his clients held, but did not do so. Counsel also called the court’s attention to the existence of the lawsuit filed by architect’s client against this defendant in. which the architect’s client had claimed the ownership of the general style of the building. The architect was requesting a judgment in excess of two thousand dollars. I do not think that it is necessarily unreasonable for the trial judge in this case to fail to accept the architect’s testimony. This court has many times held that the finder of fact is not obligated to accept all of the person’s testimony who is seeking recovery, and has also approved instructions given to a jury that they may view with distrust less satisfactory evidence than that actually offered if it appears to the jury that it would be ordinarily within the power of the person to produce stronger evidence.
2nd. As the photograph in this case demonstrated, and as the testimony shows, all three of the buildings here constructed are virtually “glass houses,” The entire' main portion of the building is glass and can be seen by any business invitee. Of course, this would be true also of the restrooms on a selective basis. I know of no case bearing on the question of “common law copyright” wherein the architect has been held to preserve such a right where he has constructed two buildings, one of which has been open to the public for over three years at the time in question. It might be different if this building contained some unique construction secrets. The testimony is that the only thing really unique about this building is its overall general appearance. To extend the “com*95mon law copyright” to such a case is to expand such right to lengths it has never heretofore enjoyed in recorded cases.
I believe that such an extension should be made, if made, by the legislature after a full debate on the issue: (Architects’ interest, etc. v. free economic use of information etc.) where the broad issue of the conflicting interests would be determined as opposed to the piecemeal expansion of “common law copyright” by judicial process.