Marino v. Usher

22 F. Supp. 3d 437, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69521, 110 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1860, 2014 WL 2142118
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMay 21, 2014
DocketCiv. No. 11-6811
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 22 F. Supp. 3d 437 (Marino v. Usher) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marino v. Usher, 22 F. Supp. 3d 437, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69521, 110 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1860, 2014 WL 2142118 (E.D. Pa. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

DIAMOND, District Judge.

In 2002, Plaintiff Daniel Marino co-authored the song “Club Girl,” later renamed “Bad Girl” and recorded by Defendant “Usher” Raymond IV. Alleging infringement under the Copyright Act, Plaintiff proceeds against Usher and nineteen other co-Defendants who helped make and distribute that recording. 17 U.S.C. § 411(a); (Doc. No. 2.) I will grant Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffs claims for direct and vicarious copyright infringement.

I. BACKGROUND

' I have set out those record facts that are undisputed and construed them in the light most favorable to Plaintiff. I have disregarded Plaintiffs allegations that are without evidentiary support. See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Jones v. UPS, 214 F.3d 402, 407 (3d Cir.2000) (“unsupported allegations” cannot defeat summary judgment). I have accepted as true all Plaintiffs other factual allegations and construed them in the light most favorable to him.

A. The Song’s Creation

In 2001, Plaintiff and co-Defendants William Guice and Dante Barton formed a songwriting group. (Marino Dep. at 137-41.) They anticipated discrete artistic roles for each member, and agreed to share songwriting credit if any of their coauthored songs became successful. (Guice Dep. June 4, 2013 at 71-74.) Plaintiff and Barton went into business together under the names Underworld Entertainment and co-Defendant Destro Music. (Marino Dep. at 52, 57.) Plaintiff allowed Barton to manage the group’s business and financial affairs. (Id. at 57, 60.) It appears that Plaintiffs difficulties arose from this decision.

In 2002, Plaintiff, Barton, and Guice collaborated on “Club Girl”: Plaintiff created the basic melody, chord progressions, and tempo; Plaintiff and Barton recorded the song; Barton created the “beat”; and Guice wrote the lyrics and reworked the melody. (Marino Dep. at 100-107; Guice Dep. June 4, 2013 at 71-74.) Unknown to [440]*440Plaintiff, in 2004, Barton copyrighted the musical composition (but not the sound recording) of “Club Girl,” listing only himself and Guice as authors. (Doc. No. 102, at Ex. M.)

B. The Group Agrees to Usher’s Use of the Song

With Plaintiffs approval, Barton sought to “shop” “Club Girl” to the music industry. (Marino Dep. at 331-33.) Co-Defendant Tommy Van Dell, a publishing agent, brought the song to co-Defendants Usher and Mark Pitts, Usher’s “Artist and Repertoire” representative, (van Dell Dep. at 169-70; Usher Dep. at 16-17.) Plaintiff testified that after some discussion in 2003, he, Barton, and Guice permitted Usher to use “Club Girl.” (Marino Dep. at 145-46 (“The decision was that we were going to allow Usher to sing the song.”).)

Pitts sought to include “Club Girl” in Usher’s next album. (Pitts Dep. at 83-84.) Plaintiff and Guice authorized Barton to negotiate the trio’s writing, production, and royalty credits. (Marino Dep. at 147, 154, 166-68, 170-72.) Plaintiff, Barton, and Guice agreed that the three would share songwriting credit equally, and that Plaintiff and Barton would share production and royalty credits. (Id. at 140-41.) Barton contracted with Usher’s representatives through Underworld Entertainment, memorializing the terms in the UW Agreement. (Doc. No. 102, at Ex. Q.) That Agreement provides, inter alia, that Usher and his designees:

[S]hall have the exclusive unrestricted, perpetual right throughout the universe to use, distribute, sell and exploit [“Club Girl/Bad Girl”] in any and all media, by any and all methods and formats.

(Id.) Plaintiff testified that he was excited when he learned of the contract. (Marino Dep. at 174-75.) He did not ask to see the contract, however, nor did he seek to determine why he was not asked to sign it. Had he reviewed the contract, he would have learned that, consistent with the copyright registration form, only Barton and Guice were credited as the song’s writers. (UW Agreement at 7.)

At Usher’s request, Plaintiff mailed the “Pro Tools” files to “Usher’s people” so they could work on the song. (Marino Dep. at 251-56.) Plaintiff testified that he converted the files to make it easier for Usher to work on them. (Id. at 253.) He also acknowledged that, at Usher’s request, he made revisions to “Club Girl,” including rewriting and re-recording it, and sending subsequent versions to Usher’s producers. (Marino Dep. at 182-84, 254, 335, 337-38.)

C. Plaintiff is not Credited as a Songwriter or Producer

Once the UW Agreement was executed, Barton, Guice, and Plaintiff each received a lump sum payment. On March 23, 2004, Usher released his album Confessions through subsidiaries of co-Defendant Sony Music Entertainment. (Am. Compl. ¶ 319.) The album included “Bad Girl,” the new name for “Club Girl.” (Marino Dep. at 183-84) When Plaintiff purchased a copy of the newly released album, he discovered he was not credited as a writer or producer of the song, only as an instrumentalist. (Id. at 220-21.) Barton and Guice were credited as writers along with seven others. (“Bad Girl” Credits, Doc. No. 102, at Ex. V.) Plaintiff confronted only Barton, however. (Marino Dep. at 221-22.) Acknowledging that the credit omission was a “mistake,” Barton said that he would fix it. (Id. at 226-28.) Plaintiff obtained counsel in October 2004 (to prepare a cease and desist letter that was never sent), and threatened to sue Barton, who said he was correcting the problem. (Id. 411-18.) Over the next five years, [441]*441Plaintiff continued to collaborate with Barton, who “disappeared” in 2009, having taken no corrective action. (Id. at 237) Plaintiff thus received royalties only for his work on “Club Girl/Bad Girl” as a musician. (Id. at 270-72.) Defendants paid all writing and producing royalties to “Destro Music c/o Dante Barton.” (Doc. No. 102, Ex. T.)

Plaintiff never sought to enjoin the sale of “Bad Girl” or Confessions. (Marino Dep. at 190 (“Why would I tell anyone to stop selling the record of my work that millions of people are going to hear, that I’m proud of .... Why on Earth would I tell someone [] don’t put it on the record?”).) Rather, Plaintiff celebrated “Bad Girl’s” success, attending Usher’s Philadelphia tour and the Grammy Awards. (Mar-ino Dep. at 244-50, 308-12, 439.) There is no allegation that moving Defendants knew or should have known of Plaintiffs royalty or credit issues. Once again, “Club Girl’s” copyright listed only Barton and Guice as authors. (Doc. No. 102, at Ex. M.) Moreover, Plaintiff admits that even though he spoke with Usher at a party soon after the release of Confessions, Plaintiff did not mention the issues. (Marino Dep. at 316-22.)

D. Plaintiff Initiates Litigation

On October 28, 2011, Plaintiff began the instant action, filing an Amended Complaint on November 17, 2011. (Doc. Nos.

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Bluebook (online)
22 F. Supp. 3d 437, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69521, 110 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1860, 2014 WL 2142118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marino-v-usher-paed-2014.