Andersen et al v. Stability AI Ltd. et al

Filing 80

Joinder re 78 Reply to Opposition/Response in Support of DeviantArt, Inc.s Special Motion to Strike Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16 by Stability AI Ltd., Stability AI, Inc.. (Schoenhard, Paul) (Filed on 7/3/2023)

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Mark A. Lemley (State Bar No. 155830)
LEX LUMINA PLLC
745 Fifth Avenue, Suite 500
New York, NY 10151
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

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Nicole M. Jantzi (pro hac vice)
Paul M. Schoenhard (pro hac vice)
FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER
& JACOBSON LLP
801 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
[e-mail]
(Additional counsel on signature page)

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Counsel for Defendant Stability, Ltd.
and Stability AI, Inc.

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

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SARAH ANDERSEN, an individual;
KELLY MCKERNAN, an individual;
KARLA ORTIZ, an individual,
Individual and Representative Plaintiffs,
v.
STABILITY AI LTD., a UK corporation;
STABILITY AI, INC., a Delaware
corporation; MIDJOURNEY, INC., a
Delaware corporation; DEVIANTART,
INC., a Delaware corporation,

CASE NO. 23-cv-00201-WHO
DEFENDANTS STABILITY AI, LTD. AND
STABILITY AI, INC’S NOTICE OF
JOINDER IN DEFENDANT DEVIANTART,
INC.’S SPECIAL MOTION TO STRIKE
UNDER CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL
PROCEDURE § 425.16
Date:
Time:
Place:
Before:

July 19, 2023
2:00 p.m.
Courtroom 2 - 17th Floor
Hon. William H. Orrick

Defendants.
Trial Date: TBD
Date Action Filed: January 13, 2023

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-1STABILITY AI, LTD AND STABILITY AI, INC.’S
REPLY ISO SPECIAL MOTION TO STRIKE
CASE NO. 3:23-CV-00201

SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE OF JOINDER AND JOINDER TO ANTI-SLAPP
MOTION

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TO ALL PARTIES AND THEIR ATTORNEYS OF RECORD:
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Defendants Stability AI, Ltd., and
Stability AI, Inc. (“Stability Defendants”) hereby join in DeviantArt, Inc.’s (“DeviantArt”) Special
Motion to Strike Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16 (“Motion”) (Dkt. 50).
The Stability Defendants join in DeviantArt’s Motion and all supporting papers submitted
therewith, for all the reasons stated therein, namely, that Plaintiffs’ cannot demonstrate a probability
of prevailing on their speech-inhibiting right of publicity claims because the claims: (1) fall within
the subject matter of copyright, are predicated on assertions of rights that are equivalent to copyright
rights, and are therefore preempted under 17 U.S.C. § 301; (2) are based exclusively on conclusory
allegations; (3) would improperly expand the concept of publicity rights to prohibit use of an
individual’s name to accurately refer to that individual’s public acts or achievements—in this case,
the “artistic styles” that Plaintiffs claim they “popularized” on the internet (¶ 205); and (4) are
predicated on, if anything, transformative uses of Plaintiffs’ identities or likenesses, which are
protected First Amendment speech, particularly inasmuch as Plaintiffs, themselves, allege that it is
nearly “impossible” to identify any alleged Work of Plaintiffs from the face of any output from
defendants’ platforms. (¶¶ 192–93.)
The Stability Defendants hereby provide supplemental notice of joinder to adopt the
additional reasons, discussion, and arguments presented in DeviantArt’s Reply in Support of its
Special Motion to Strike (ECF No. 78).
By way of this supplemental joinder, the Stability Defendants reiterate their request that the
Court grant the Motion and strike Plaintiffs’ right-of-publicity claims against the Stability
Defendants.

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Dated: July 3, 2023

Respectfully submitted,

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-2STABILITY AI, LTD AND STABILITY AI, INC.’S
REPLY ISO SPECIAL MOTION TO STRIKE
CASE NO. 3:23-CV-00201

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By: /s/ Paul M. Schoenhard

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Mark A. Lemley (State Bar No. 155830)
LEX LUMINA PLLC
745 Fifth Avenue, Suite 500
New York, NY 10151
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

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Nicole M. Jantzi (pro hac vice)
Paul M. Schoenhard (pro hac vice)
FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER
& JACOBSON LLP
801 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
[e-mail]
Michael C. Keats (pro hac vice)
Amir R. Ghavi (pro hac vice)
FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER
& JACOBSON LLP
One New York Plaza
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
[e-mail]

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Counsel for Defendant Stability AI, Ltd. and
Stability AI, Inc.

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-3STABILITY AI, LTD AND STABILITY AI, INC.’S
REPLY ISO SPECIAL MOTION TO STRIKE
CASE NO. 3:23-CV-00201