In March 2014, this column analyzed a decision by a Ninth Circuit panel in Garcia v. Google, Inc., in which the Court held that an actress, who believed she was appearing in a minor role in an Arabian adventure movie, could maintain a copyright infringement claim against the producers when they used the footage instead in an anti-Islamic film that resulted in her receiving death threats. As the prior column surmised, it appeared that “bad” (although entirely sympathetic) facts were making “bad” law.

This week, the Ninth Circuit ruled that it would rehear the matter en banc and ordered that its previous decision “not be cited as precedent by or to any court of the Ninth Circuit.” It remains to be seen whether the entire Ninth Circuit will take a different position this time (and hold that the lower court properly denied the injunctive relief) or take the opportunity to emphasize just how limited the scope of its prior ruling was intended to reach.

Below is the original column analyzing the Ninth Ciruit’s original ruling in this case.

A Bit Part, A Fatwa and Copyright Infringement

Most law students learn early in law school the old maxim: “Bad facts make bad law.”  A recent Ninth Circuit case, Garcia v. Google, Inc., seems certain to test this proposition with its incredibly sympathetic facts. Continue Reading 9th Circuit Agrees to En Banc Rehearing of Garcia v. Google, Inc.

One of the more important intellectual property cases decided in 2014 is the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Octane Fitness, LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, Inc. (2014) 134 S.Ct. 1749.  In that case, the Supreme Court announced a new test for awarding attorneys’ fees in patent infringement cases, holding that the existing test used by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals was “overly rigid.”

The plaintiff, Octane Fitness, and the defendant, ICON Health, both made elliptical exercise machines.  ICON owned a U.S. patent for its machine.  ICON sued Octane for patent infringement.  The district court granted summary judgment of noninfringement in favor of Octane.  Octane filed a motion to seeking its attorneys’ fees under 35 U.S.C. section 285.  The district court denied the motion.  On appeal, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed.

The Supreme Court reversed, stating that “the framework established by the Federal Circuit in Brooks Furniture Mfg. v. Dutailier International (Fed. Cir. 2005) 393 F.3d 1378 is unduly rigid, and it impermissibly encumbers the statutory grant of discretion to district courts.”  Id. at 1755.  The Court held that the Federal Circuit’s test in Brooks Furniture was “overly rigid.”  Id. at 1756.  Under that test, a case was exceptional if there was either:  (1) litigation-related misconduct, or (2) subjective bad faith and objective baselessness.  According to the Federal Circuit, the first alternative, litigation misconduct, would be found it there was willful infringement, vexatious litigation, a Rule 11 violation, or fraud or inequitable conduct in obtaining the patent.  Under the second alternative, subjective bad faith was met only if the plaintiff actually knew that its suit was objectively baseless, and objective baselessness was met if no reasonable litigant could believe they would prevail.  In addition, the Brooks court held that a defendant had to prove an exceptional case by clear and convincing evidence. Continue Reading Attorneys’ Fees for Patent Infringement – Easier to Obtain!

On May 31, 2014, members of the band Led Zeppelin and its publishers were sued for copyright infringement by Randy California, the former guitarist and front man of the band Spirit.  The lawsuit, filed in the state of Pennsylvania, alleges that a significant portion of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” was stolen from “Taurus,” a song written by Mr. California when he was with Spirit.

Claiming that a Pennsylvania court lacks jurisdiction over the band’s three British citizens, Led Zeppelin challenged jurisdiction and, in the alternative, argued that the lawsuit should be Going to California, Over the Hills and Far Away, where venue would be more appropriate.  (Put another way, they sang the Immigrant Song.)  The court denied Led Zeppelin’s motion, leaving the band Dazed and Confused. Accordingly, The Song Remains the Same.

While the decision has undoubtedly been a Heartbreaker for the band, failure to have the case dismissed or transferred is really only a minor setback. It’s not yet time to lead Stairway to Heaven to the Gallows Pole.  The case will simply go forward in Pennsylvania, Wearing and Tearing its way to trial.

Led Zeppelin’s predicament is not a new one for musicians.  In 1971, music publishing company Bright Tunes alleged that George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” was a copy of the Chiffons’ hit “He’s So Fine.”  During the litigation, George Harrison testified that he had not noticed any similarities between the two songs until other people started pointing them out, but he also admitted that he had been aware of the Chiffon’s hit before he wrote “My Sweet Lord.”  Ultimately, the court ruled that, although Harrison did not intentionally plagiarize the song, Mr. Harrison had “subconsciously” copied substantial portions and incorporated them into “My Sweet Lord.” The court then ordered Harrison to pay to Bright Tunes three quarters of the royalties he had received from sales of his song.

Bright Tunes should be ringing in Led Zeppelin’s ears.  “Taurus” was released on Spirit’s debut album in 1968.  Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit on their 1969 tour, and later released Stairway to Heaven in 1971.  (It is fair to question why Spirit did not raise a claim for copyright infringement within the last 43 years. Perhaps they were occupied with Somethin’ Else.) As the opening act for Spirit on the 1968 tour, it appears likely that Led Zeppelin probably had heard “Taurus” prior to writing “Stairway.” The band therefore might face a fate similar to George Harrison’s – a finding of “subliminal” infringement similar to the outcome in Bright Tunes.  Based on the royalty award in Bright Tunes, it no doubt will be Celebration Day for Spirit if they successfully prove a case for copyright infringement.

Rock and Roll. That’s the Way. But I don’t want to Ramble On.

 

Zombies have become part of our lives.  We are fascinated with vampires, but we are obsessed with zombies.

Our obsession is best evidenced by the tremendous success of AMC’s television series “The Walking Dead,” about the zombie apocalypse.  The show first aired on Halloween night in 2010 and was watched by 5.35 million viewers.  It premiered worldwide the same week, in 120 countries.  The premier was preceded by a zombie invasion (orchestrated by AMC and Fox) on October 26, 2010 in 26 cities throughout the world, including Hong Kong, Taipei, and Los Angeles.  The show is now going strong in its fourth season.

Movies about zombies are also alive and well.  Since 1980, zombie movies have brought in almost $1 billion.  The highest grossing zombie movie was Sony’s 2009 “Zombieland,” bringing in $75 million since it opened.  “Warm Bodies,” one of several zom-rom-coms (as this genre is now called) has grossed $65 million since it opened three months ago.  Other favorites include the “Resident Evil” and “Night of the Living Dead” series, and “Shaun of the Dead.”

Thus, even though zombies have been walking (slowly) among us for hundreds (thousands?) of years, we have really just recently (as evidenced by our 33 years of TV and movies) noticed them.  Zombies have been here all along.  In fact, they are way ahead of us in the intellectual property world.

Zombies have amassed a significant number of U.S. patents for their inventions.  The biggest problem zombies face is a defining one: how to come back from being dead.  The undead have developed several inventions to solve this problem and they have obtained patents on these inventions.  (We are not sure why a zombie would want a patent, but we don’t know who to ask, so we can’t tell you.) Continue Reading Zombies Have IP Too