Greenbie v. Noble

151 F. Supp. 45, 113 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 115, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3506
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedApril 3, 1957
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 151 F. Supp. 45 (Greenbie v. Noble) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Greenbie v. Noble, 151 F. Supp. 45, 113 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 115, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3506 (S.D.N.Y. 1957).

Opinion

LEVET, District Judge.

This is a suit for damages for copyright infringement brought pursuant to the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C.A. § 1 et seq. Trial was before the Court without a jury. Plaintiff, Marjorie Barstow Green-bie, is the author of a book entitled, “My Dear Lady,” which was published on October 7, 1940. It is alleged that one Hollister Noble, one of the defendants above named, infringed the copyright of the aforesaid book by writing and causing to be published in 1948 a certain book entitled, “Woman With A Sword.” The defendant Noble died on or about the time of the commencement of this action, which was instituted on July 21, 1954. Noble was never served in this action and his estate has not been made a party. The action has been discontinued against all defendants except Doubleday & Company, Inc. and Sears Roebuck and Company.

Doubleday is alleged to have infringed plaintiff’s copyright by publishing a general edition of “Woman With A Sword” and Sears by publishing a book club edition under license. The amended answers of Doubleday and Sears admit the publication but deny the allegations of infringement and assert a number of defenses including the propriety of plaintiff’s status as a party to this action, laches, statute of limitations and misuse of copyright or unclean hands.

The plaintiff’s book, “My Dear Lady,” is sub-titled, “The Story of Anna Ella Carroll, A ‘Great Unrecognized Member of Lincoln’s Cabinet.’ ” This volume is an historical account of the background, childhood and Civil War activities of one Anna Ella Carroll. Miss Carroll, a member of the famous Carroll family of Maryland, daughter of Thomas King Carroll, a former governor of Maryland, is credited with having devised the plan of the so-called “Tennessee Campaign” during the Civil War.

The book published by the defendants Doubleday and Sears is a fictionalized account of the career of Anna Ella Carroll. Noble, the author, in his acknowl- *50 edgements, among other things, states: “All of the characters in this book were living persons, with one exception. Harry Heyward is a fictional dramatization of several of Anna Carroll’s Southern suitors.” It is also stated by Noble that: “All of the major military and political events took place very much in the order in which they are related.”

There is no doubt that much of the basic narrative involved in both books is predicated upon certain historical facts or reasonable inferences from those facts.

The plaintiff’s book is based largely on documented sources and, reputedly to some extent, on her personal conversations with surviving relatives of Anna Ella Carroll. The book contains an extensive bibliography and an index. Plaintiff, it seems, was inspired to undertake her production when she saw in the Library of Congress a certain card file reference to a two-volume work by Sarah Ellen Blackwell on the life of Anna Ella Carroll. From this card she derived the sub-title of the book. Subsequently, she visited certain surviving relatives of Anna Ella Carroll in Maryland, to wit, one Nellie Calvert Carroll and one Katherine Cradock, nieces of the deceased Anna Ella Carroll. She discovered certain letters and other private papers in their possession, some of which she transferred to the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore; others she retained in her own custody.

The book, “My Dear Lady,” had one printing, of which some 1,400 copies were sold. In 1941 or 1942, the publication was declared out of print by its publishers, McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc.

The book, “Woman With A Sword," published by the defendants, was begun in January, 1945. Noble had been a professional writer and editor in the newspaper, radio and motion picture fields, with previous avocational interests in Civil War matters and in railroads. He had written numerous book reviews for the New York Times, commencing as early as 1931 (Exhibit CC) and had likewise been the author of numerous magazine articles published by the New York Times Magazine Section (Exhibit BB). In January, 1945, Noble’s agent, one Barthold Fies, gave Noble a copy of plaintiff’s publication, “My Dear Lady,” with other books. At the same time it appeared that Noble had previously heard about Anna Ella Carroll, since he showed Fies the reference to her contained in Carl Sandburg’s “Life of Lincoln” on page 410 (Minutes, pp. 648-649).

Noble owned a substantial Civil War library and had served as an Army officer and with the Office of War Information during World War II. It appears from the testimony of Mrs. Noble that Noble had many publications relating to this period in his library at Sherman Oaks, California. He also visited the William Wyles Lincoln Library at Santa Barbara College, University of California, the Los Angeles Public Library, the St. Louis Mercantile Library and other libraries. He secured certain information from the so-called “Memorials”— that is, post-Civil War petitions of Anna Ella Carroll to Congress for recognition for her services rendered during the Civil War. He read Blackwell’s “Life of Anna Ella Carroll.” He visited various Civil War Battlefields and we'may conclude that he interviewed certain of the relatives of Anna Ella Carroll.

Noble’s agent, Barthold Fies, testified in substance as follows with respect to the procedure of submission of the manuscripts by Noble to Doubleday:

1. On or about April 11, 1946, Fies delivered an outline of 30 to 50 pages and 100 pages of the book to Doubleday (see Minutes, pp. 603-606). (Noble edited the original version. Exhibit BBBB). His preliminary outline and sample writing appears to have been reviewed by Doubleday’s Paul Hollister on March 28, 1946 and George Shively on April 11, 1946 (Exhibit-DD).)

2. About a month later, apparently in May, 1946, Doubleday and Noble entered into an option agreement and $500 was paid on account (Minutes, p. 609).

*51 3. Between Christmas 1946 and New Years 1947, at Sherman Oaks, California, Fies examined a first draft of 1,400 pages which had been prepared but had not been submitted to Doubleday (Minutes, p. 613).

4. On or about April 10, 1947, a manuscript of some 1,200 pages was submitted to Doubleday (Minutes, p. 611). One-third of that version related to the early life of Anna Ella Carroll; perhaps one-fifth to the Baltimore years; and a little less than half to the war years and after (Minutes, p. 642). This manuscript is no longer available, having been ruined by water at the Noble residence (Minutes, p. 642).

5. A contract (Exhibit 14), was signed between Doubleday and Noble on April 24, 1947 (Minutes, p. 613).

6. On or about May 10, 1947, Fies had conversations with Noble with respect to further revisions (Minutes, p. 614).

7. In September, 1947, a “cut” version was delivered to Doubleday (Minutes, p. 615).

8. On or about November 12, 1947, another version was delivered to Doubleday (Minutes, p. 616).

9. On or about January 1, 1948, a final “cut” and revised version was submitted to Doubleday (Minutes, pp. 615-617).

These facts are substantially undisputed and, accordingly, it is my finding that they are correct.

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Bluebook (online)
151 F. Supp. 45, 113 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 115, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3506, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greenbie-v-noble-nysd-1957.