Johnson v. Jones

885 F. Supp. 1008, 36 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1513, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6345, 1995 WL 273647
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedApril 20, 1995
Docket2:94-cv-70497
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 885 F. Supp. 1008 (Johnson v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Jones, 885 F. Supp. 1008, 36 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1513, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6345, 1995 WL 273647 (E.D. Mich. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER REGARDING DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

ROSEN, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

On February 10, 1994, Plaintiffs Douglas A. Johnson (d/b/a Douglas A. Johnston & Associates), and his construction firm Professional Management Co. filed a four-count complaint against Defendants Theresa C. Jones, Daniel A. Tosch, Tosch’s architectural firm (Progressive Associates, Inc.), John C. Uznis and Uznis’ construction firm (Uznis Deneweth Co.). An amended complaint was entered by order of the Court on October 26, 1994. Count I of Plaintiffs’ amended complaint alleges that Defendants infringed Plaintiff Douglas Johnson’s copyright to certain technical architectural drawings he prepared for renovation of Defendant Theresa Jones’ home. The drawings, for which Johnson holds a certificate of copyright registration, consist of three pages of general floor plan and design layout for the home, as well as two larger and more detailed works, entitled “Demolition Phase I” and “Addition A.” Count II alleges that Defendants infringed Johnson’s copyright to a design proposal package entitled “Jones Residence Architectural Proposal Package,” for which he also holds a certificate of copyright registration. Count III alleges breach of contract. 1 And, Count IV alleges trademark infringement in violation of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125.

Defendants Theresa C. Jones, John C. Uznis and Uznis Deneweth Co. filed two motions for partial summary judgment on October 31,1994. The first seeks summary judgment on Counts I and II of Plaintiffs’ amended complaint; the second seeks summary judgment on Court IV. Defendants Daniel A. Tosch and Progressive Associates, Inc., filed a concurrence to both motions on that same day. Plaintiffs responded to the motions on December 5, and Defendants replied on December 22. After reviewing the papers filed by the parties and the arguments made by their counsel at a hearing held on March 31, 1995, the Court is now prepared to rule on Defendants’ motions. This memorandum opinion and order sets forth that ruling.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Presented in the light most favorable to the Plaintiffs, the evidence before the Court, consisting primarily of Plaintiff Johnson’s deposition testimony, reveals the following. In July of 1993, Johnson, who is an architect, first met with Defendant Theresa C. Jones to discuss the possibility of renovating a home Jones was considering purchasing at 1100 Orchard Ridge Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Jones’ real estate agent had suggested the meeting. Later that month, Jones arranged to purchase the home, and verbally agreed with Johnson to use his services to redesign the home for a fee of 3.5% of construction costs, which were expected to exceed one million dollars. The parties did not discuss construction management at that time.

Subsequently, Johnson prepared a design proposal (“Jones Residence Architectural Proposal Package” — the subject of Count II of Plaintiffs amended complaint), and submitted it to Jones for approval on or about July 25, 1993, with a proposed written contract for architectural services. At the July 25th meeting, the two agreed that Johnson should also manage construction of the renovation for a fee of 14% of construction costs. Thereafter, the parties began to negotiate the terms of a written “design/build” contract.

At deposition, Johnson was questioned about the implications of his failure to discuss construction management at the initial meeting during which Jones’ agreed to use Johnson’s architectural services:

*1010 Q: And did she say yes, I want you to do the architectural work?
A: Yes, right.
Q: It’s your contention you had an oral agreement at that point?
A: We had an oral agreement at that point.
Q: Okay. And that would be that you would get 3/6 percent and you would do the plans?
A: Yes.
Q: And were you to build the house as well?
A: Not at that time.
Q: No?
A: We hadn’t discussed it at that meeting.
Q: All right. So under this particular agreement that you believe you had, she would hire you to do the architectural plans and then she could hire someone else to build the house?
A: No. That wasn’t discussed either.
At that time I was hired to do the design work at 3/6 percent.
Q: All right.
A: At that time.
Q: What was your understanding of this oral agreement that you believe you had? If she paid you 3/é percent for those plans would she be required to use you to construct the building or could she use someone else to construct the building?
A: At that time she could have used someone else.

(Deposition of Douglas A. Johnson, Brief in Support of Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment on Counts I and II, Exhibit 1, pp. 72-73).

At the July 25, 1993, meeting Johnson submitted a proposed contract to Jones with the following clause (emphasis added):

The Drawings, Specifications and other documents prepared by the Architect for this Project are instruments of the Architect’s service for use solely with respect to this Project, and the Architect shall be deemed the author of these documents and shall retain all common law, statutory and other reserved rights, including the copyright____ The Architect’s Drawings, Specifications and other documents shall not be used by the Owner or others on other projects, for additions to this Project or for completion of this Project by others, unless the architect is adjudged to be in default under this Agreement, except by agreement in writing and with appropriate compensation to the Architect.

(This is part of a standard form contract prepared by the American Institute of Architects, Form No. B151, entitled “Abbreviated Form Agreement Between Owner and Architect.”) Similar language appears in a proposed contract for design and construction work that Johnson submitted to Jones after she asked him to manage construction of the project. Furthermore, throughout contract negotiations, Johnson objected to language in contracts proposed by Jones’ attorney that would have vested ownership of the plans in Jones. 2

During contract negotiations, both parties began performance.

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Bluebook (online)
885 F. Supp. 1008, 36 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1513, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6345, 1995 WL 273647, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-jones-mied-1995.