Superior Form Builders v. Dan Chase Taxidermy Supply Co.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

REBECCA BEACH SMITH, District Judge.

I. Facts and Procedural History

Plaintiff filed this suit alleging copyright infringement by defendants. Plaintiff is the owner of four copyrights that have been registered with the United States Copyright Office for taxidermy forms or mannequins: two raccoons, a deer, and an otter. The form's are made through a multi-step process. First, the sculptor studies live animals. Then, he uses an animal carcass to make a plaster “death mask” for study purposes. He then sculpts an animal in a certain pose out of clay put over an armature. Next, the…