Legal Opinion
SOFA Entertainment, Inc. v. Dodger Productions, Inc.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Decided March 11, 2013No. 10-56535, 10-57071PublishedCited by 43 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
OPINION
TROTT, Circuit Judge:
This is a copyright infringement suit over a seven-second clip of Ed Sullivan’s introduction of the Four Seasons on The Ed Sullivan Show. Appellees Dodger Productions, Inc. and Dodger Theatricals, Ltd. (collectively “Dodger”) used the clip in their musical about the Four Seasons, Jersey Boys, to mark a historical point in the band’s career.
Appellant SOFA Entertainment, Inc. (“SOFA”) claims Dodger infringed its copyright in the clip and cannot justify its unlicensed use of the clip as “fair use.” SOFA is mistaken. By using the clip for its biographical significance,…
2Cases cited13 opinions
- Fogerty v. Fantasy, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1994
- Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. v. Nation EnterprisesSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
- Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. MuchnickSupreme Court of the United States · 2010
- Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1994
- Stewart v. AbendSupreme Court of the United States · 1990
8 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by43 opinions
- Seven Arts Filmed Entertainmen v. Content Media Corporation PlcCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2013
- Glacier Films (Usa), Inc. v. Andrey TurchinCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2018
- Oracle America, Inc. v. Google Inc.Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit · 2014
- Dereck Seltzer v. Green Day, Inc.Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2013
- Samuel Keller v. Electronic Arts Inc.Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2013
38 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.