Copyright law, fine art and navigating the courts. Author Copyright Litigation Handbook (Thomson Reuters Westlaw 2019-2020)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Declaratory Judgments on Unregistered Copyrights: A Cobbler's Dilemma
Stuart Weitzman LLC v. Microcomputer Resources Inc., 542 F.3d 859 (11th Cir. Sept. 12, 2008).
What happens when your custom computer programmer sends you a cease and desist letter telling you that you have the right to use the software they built for you, but that you do not have the right to possess the source code and that it "cannot be modified, changed or reverse engineered by anybody."
Well, the Stuart Weitzman people responded with a declaratory judgment action. They claimed that they were being accused of copyright infringement, that the subject matter was completely pre-empted, that there was a "case or controversy", that the court had federal jurisdiction. Seems pretty simple, right?
Wrong. The computer vendor had not registered the copyright in the software program, and Weitzman did not contest that the vendor owned the copyright. Nor could the Weitzman folks think up any state-law claims that they could seriously be sued for, which might raise a federal question to be decided (interpretation of the copyright act). Weitzman argued that the "federal question" raised was an anticipated copyright infringement action, and asked the court to construe Weitzman's defenses under 17 U.S.C. Section 117 (you are allowed to copy a computer program if such copying is necessary to run the program).
So the case was dismissed on subject matter jurisdiction, simply because the computer company had neither sued nor filed a copyright registration. This result appears to be anomalous and not in the spirit of other declaratory judgment cases. It is not clear that Weitzman showed how the business would be immediately and irreparably harmed by the cease and desist letter or that the controversy was "ripe".
Labels:
cease and desist,
copyright infringement,
declaratory judgment,
open source code,
software copyright
Partner in law firm Dunnington Bartholow & Miller LLP in New York City litigating in federal and state courts and arbitrations. Experienced trial and appellate practitioner. Author: Copyright Litigation Handbook (Thomson Reuters 2019-2020). The New York Law Journal called it "an indispensable guide". Board of Directors of the Fordham Law Alumni Association, former General Counsel & Director Federal Bar Association, FBA Chair of the Circuit VPs, ViP for Second Circuit. Member Board of Governors, National Arts Club. President, Network of Bar Leaders (2013-2014).
Attorney advertising disclaimer - prior results do not guarantee success. The statements and opinions voiced here are my own and not of my law firm.
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