Rupa Marya v. Warner Chappell Music Inc

Filing 215

MINUTE ORDER IN CHAMBERS Re: Further Briefing on Summary Judgment Motion by Judge George H. King: On March 23, 2015, we took the Parties' Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment under submission. Reviewing the record, we do not believe the Parties have adequately addressed Plaintiffs' argument that Patty Hill abandoned the copyright to the Happy Birthday to You lyrics. The issue was barely discussed at oral argument and the summary judgment briefing frequently conflates the issue with the question of whether the copyright was lost due to general publication. Accordingly, we hereby ORDER the parties to meet and confer, preferably in person, and submit a joint supplementary brief of no more than twenty-four pages (divided evenly between the Parties) on the issue of abandonment within fourteen days hereof. The Parties are further ORDERED to attend oral argument on the issue on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 9:30 A.M. In their joint brief, the Parties shall bear in mind the following: (see document for further details) (bm)

E-FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
CIVIL MINUTES - GENERAL
Case No.

CV 13-4460 GHK (MRWx)

Title

Rupa Marya, et al. v. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Presiding: The Honorable

Date

May 18, 2015

GEORGE H. KING, CHIEF U. S. DISTRICT JUDGE

Beatrice Herrera

N/A

N/A

Deputy Clerk

Court Reporter / Recorder

Tape No.

Attorneys Present for Plaintiffs:

Attorneys Present for Defendants:

None

None

Proceedings:

(In Chambers) Order Re: Further Briefing on Summary Judgment Motion

On March 23, 2015, we took the Parties’ Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment under
submission. Reviewing the record, we do not believe the Parties have adequately addressed Plaintiffs’
argument that Patty Hill abandoned the copyright to the Happy Birthday to You lyrics. The issue was
barely discussed at oral argument and the summary judgment briefing frequently conflates the issue with
the question of whether the copyright was lost due to general publication. Accordingly, we hereby
ORDER the parties to meet and confer, preferably in person, and submit a joint supplementary brief
of no more than twenty-four pages (divided evenly between the Parties) on the issue of abandonment
within fourteen days hereof. The Parties are further ORDERED to attend oral argument on the issue
on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 9:30 A.M. In their joint brief, the Parties shall bear in mind the following:
“[A]bandonment of copyright occurs only if there is an intent by the copyright proprietor to
surrender rights in his work.” A & M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc., 239 F.3d 1004, 1026 (9th Cir. 2001)
(internal quotation marks omitted). Under Ninth Circuit law, abandonment “must be manifested by
some overt act indicative of a purpose to surrender the rights and allow the public to copy.” Hampton v.
Paramount Pictures Corp., 279 F.2d 100, 104 (9th Cir. 1960).
Accordingly, Plaintiffs shall state what evidence there is of an overt act taken by Patty Hill
abandoning her alleged rights to the Happy Birthday lyrics. Defendants shall state why Plaintiffs’
evidence of an overt act is insufficient as a matter of law and, even if it is sufficient, what contrary
evidence exists such that there would be a triable issue on the question of abandonment in any event.
Both Parties shall address the admissibility of all evidence relevant to this issue with fully articulated
arguments and citations to applicable authority supporting their positions.
The Parties shall not submit any new evidence. Moreover, for purposes of discussing this issue,
the Parties shall not assume that the question of abandonment is conclusively resolved by reference to
the presumption of validity. Finally, no further briefing is needed on the question of whether a general
publication occurred before 1935, and the Parties would do well to bear in mind the analytical
distinction between abandonment and loss of a copyright due to the failure to follow statutory
CV-90 (06/04)

CIVIL MINUTES - GENERAL

Page 1 of 2

E-FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
CIVIL MINUTES - GENERAL
Case No.

CV 13-4460 GHK (MRWx)

Date

Title

May 18, 2015

Rupa Marya, et al. v. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

formalities. See, e.g., 2 Patry on Copyright § 5:155 (“Abandonment . . . turns on the copyright owner’s
intent, while forfeiture results by operation of law regardless of intent.”).
IT IS SO ORDERED.

-Initials of Deputy Clerk

CV-90 (06/04)

CIVIL MINUTES - GENERAL

:

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Bea

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