Design Ideas, Ltd. v. Yankee Candle Co.

889 F. Supp. 2d 1119, 103 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1976, 2012 WL 3267783, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112014
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. Illinois
DecidedAugust 9, 2012
DocketCase No. 10-CV-3217
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 889 F. Supp. 2d 1119 (Design Ideas, Ltd. v. Yankee Candle Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Design Ideas, Ltd. v. Yankee Candle Co., 889 F. Supp. 2d 1119, 103 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1976, 2012 WL 3267783, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112014 (C.D. Ill. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

MICHAEL P. McCUSKEY, District Judge.

This case is before the court for ruling on the Second Motion for Summary Judgment (# 32) filed by Defendant, the Yankee Candle Company, Inc. Following this court’s careful consideration of the arguments of the parties and the exhibits provided by the parties, Defendant’s Second Motion for Summary Judgment (#32) is GRANTED. In addition, Defendant’s Motion to Deem Facts Admitted (#47) and Motion to Strike (# 52) are DENIED as moot.

FACTS1

Plaintiff, Design Ideas, Ltd., is an Illinois corporation which maintains its principal place of business in Springfield, Illinois. Plaintiff creates decorative housewares, giftware and office accessories, which it distributes nationwide. Christopher Hardy is the Design Director for Plaintiff. He has held this position for over 18 years and supervises or participates in the design of all of the products Plaintiff creates. Hardy stated in his declaration, dated August 25, 2011, that he designed Regatta sculpture sets which consist of three individual glass sailboat sculptures with sails of varying heights and colors. In 2001, he designed a set with frosted white sails. He next designed a set with two shades of blue sails and, in 2005, he designed a set with three different sherbet colored [1121]*1121sails. Hardy described in some detail the process he went through in creating the Regatta designs. He stated that he did not want “to create literal, nautical reproductions of any actual sailboats” but instead “the works are abstractions of sailboats created solely” from his mind’s eye. Hardy stated that he decided to use glass because he wanted to be able to see through the sculptures somewhat and wanted them to glow. Hardy stated that he decided not to use a votive or larger candle because he did not want light to overpower the sculpture. Therefore, the Regatta sculptures hold a small candle called a tea light. Hardy said he wanted to create “an illuminated table-top decoration, aesthetically pleasing, but not useful as a light source for any purpose.” In his declaration, Hardy explained his thought processes regarding various aspects of his design, including the use of frosted glass, the design of the hull and sails, the selection of colors, and the number in a set. Hardy attached sketches he made while he was designing the Regatta sculptures and also attached photographs of other products with a sailboat theme to show the differences between those designs and the Regatta sculptures.

On February 27, 2006, Plaintiff submitted an application to register a copyright for its Regatta sailboat tea light holder with a white translucent sail design and requested special handing due to prospective litigation. On March 13, 2006, the Copyright Office sent Plaintiff a letter signed by Geoffrey R. Henderson, Senior Examiner of the Visual Arts Section. The letter stated that registration for the Regatta design was refused because it appeared to be a “ ‘useful article’ which does not contain any separable features that are copyrightable.”2 The letter stated that the work appeared to be an ashtray. The letter explained:

Although the work contains a feature (the “sail”) that can clearly be identified as “separable”, that feature is not copyrightable.
To be regarded as copyrightable, a work must be original, i.e., find its origin or source with the author and contain a certain amount of creative authorship. In the case of a work of art, a certain minimum amount of pictorial, graphic, or sculptural material in the work must have originated with the author. The determination of whether a work is copyrightable has nothing to do with its aesthetic or commercial value. See Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., 188 U.S. 239 [23 S.Ct. 298, 47 L.Ed. 460] (1903). The question is whether there is sufficient creative authorship within the meaning of the copyright law and settled case law. See Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service Co., 499 U.S. 340 [111 S.Ct. 1282, 113 L.Ed.2d 358] (1991).
Copyright does not extend to ideas, concepts, systems, or the methods that are embodied in the author’s work. See 17 U.S.C. 102(b). In addition, familiar symbols or designs, typographic ornamentation, lettering, coloring and mere variations thereof are not copyrightable. See 37 C.F.R. Section 202.1.
The separable aspect of this work is not copyrightable because it represents either an insufficient amount of original authorship or one or more of the non-copyrightable elements mentioned above, or a minor non-copyrightable variation thereof. Consequently, we cannot register this claim.3

[1122]*1122Plaintiff did not request reconsideration of this decision and did not appeal the Copyright Office determination.

The Copyright Office issued a copyright registration for Plaintiffs Spring 2006 catalog which included Regatta sailboat sculptures. The certificate of registration was given number VA 1-427-637 (’637 registration). The catalog described the sculptures as “Regatta tea lights in basic white and with new multi-colored sails.” In a letter dated November 2, 2006, the Copyright Office noted that many of the sculptures in Plaintiffs catalogs were “uncopyrightable useful articles.” In addition, in a letter dated July 2, 2007, the Copyright Office stated that “[c]opyright does not protect familiar symbols or designs; basic geometric shapes; words and short phrases such as names, titles, and slogans; or mere variations of typographical ornamentation, lettering or coloring.” This letter also stated that “the design of a ‘useful article’ is considered a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work ‘only if, and only to the extent that, such design incorporates pictorial, graphic, or sculptural features that can be identified separately from, and are capable of existing independently of, the utilitarian aspects of the article.’ ” The letter stated that “much of the pictorial and sculptural material in these catalogs is not registrable.”

On July 16, 2010, Plaintiff sent Defendant a letter stating that Plaintiff “created and sells a line of glass sculptures known as Regatta, which are protected by United States copyright law, including under Registration No. VA 1-376-012 (copy enclosed).” Plaintiff attached a copyright registration, No. VA 1-376-012, for Design Ideas Basic Book 2006.4 Plaintiff stated that it was aware that Defendant was reproducing and distributing copies of Plaintiffs Regatta sculptures. Plaintiff insisted that Defendant cease and desist from offering and selling these products.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On August 24, 2010, Plaintiff filed a Complaint (# 1) against Defendant in this court. Plaintiff stated that its claims “arise out of defendant’s actions with respect to certain products designed, developed, owned, marketed, sold and copyrighted by plaintiff.” Plaintiff alleged that it applied to register its copyrights in its Regatta sculptures with the Copyright Office on February 27 and August 30, 2006, ultimately receiving Registration No. YA 1^127-637.

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889 F. Supp. 2d 1119, 103 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1976, 2012 WL 3267783, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112014, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/design-ideas-ltd-v-yankee-candle-co-ilcd-2012.