Parfums Givenchy, Inc. v. Drug Emporium, Inc.

38 F.3d 477, 94 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8011, 94 Daily Journal DAR 14849, 32 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1512, 16 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2642, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 29269, 1994 WL 575767
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedOctober 21, 1994
Docket92-56359, 93-55050
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 38 F.3d 477 (Parfums Givenchy, Inc. v. Drug Emporium, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parfums Givenchy, Inc. v. Drug Emporium, Inc., 38 F.3d 477, 94 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8011, 94 Daily Journal DAR 14849, 32 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1512, 16 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2642, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 29269, 1994 WL 575767 (9th Cir. 1994).

Opinion

PREGERSON, Circuit Judge:

I. INTRODUCTION

Drug Emporium, Inc. appeals a permanent injunction granted by the district court on summary judgment in Parfums Givenchy, Inc.’s (“Givenchy USA’s”) action for copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 602(a). Givenchy USA owns the United States copyright to the box design of Amarige perfume. Givenchy USA brought the instant action after its representatives purchased a bottle of Amarige perfume, in the original copyrighted packaging, from a discount retail store owned by Drug Emporium. The permanent injunction restrains Drug Emporium from continuing to sell or market the copyrighted Amarige box design in the United States. We have jurisdiction over the appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We affirm.

II. FACTS

The facts are not in dispute. This case concerns the importation and sale of Amar-ige, a perfume that is produced in France by Parfums Givenchy, S.A. (“Givenchy France”). Amarige is marketed in distinctively decorated individual boxes designed by employees of Givenchy France. Givenchy France began importing Amarige to the United States in early 1992, and shortly thereafter sold its United States copyright interests in the Amarige box design to appellee, Givenchy USA, its wholly owned subsidiary. Givenchy USA then recorded the box design with the United States Copyright office, obtained a valid registration certificate, and began a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign to promote the perfume.

Meanwhile, third parties purchased or otherwise lawfully obtained quantities of Amar-ige abroad. The Amarige was packaged in the original distinctively designed box. The third parties then imported the Amarige into the United States without the authorization of either Givenchy France or Givenchy USA. Some or all of the Amarige was imported into the United States before Givenchy France assigned its U.S. copyright interests in the Amarige box design to Givenchy USA. Drug Emporium, a nationwide retail chain, purchased the Amarige from the importing third parties in the United States, and began marketing the perfume in the United States in its original copyrighted packaging. Drug Emporium made all of its purchases of Amarige after Givenchy USA became the registered U.S. copyright owner of the box design.

III. DISCUSSION

We review a grant of summary judgment de novo. Smith v. Noonan, 992 F.2d 987, 989 (9th Cir.1993). We must determine whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, there are any genuine issues of material fact, and whether the district court correctly applied the relevant substantive law. Botefur v. City of Eagle Point, 7 F.3d 152, 154 (9th Cir.1993).

Drug Emporium raises two primary issues on appeal: (1) It challenges the district court’s determination that Givenchy USA had standing to sue for the alleged copyright infringements; and (2) It challenges the district court’s determination that the “first sale” doctrine does not apply to shield Drug Emporium from liability for copyright infringement.

A. Standing:

Section 501 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976, Pub.L. 94-653, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101-914 (the “Copyright Act”) provides that “[t]he legal or beneficial owner of an exclusive right under a copyright is entitled ... to institute an action for any infringement ... committed while he or she is the owner of it.” 17 U.S.C. § 501(b). The dis *480 trict court found that Givenchy USA had standing to sue under the Copyright Act because it owned the United States copyright to the box design when the infringement occurred. 1

Drug Emporium contends that there .is a genuine issue of fact whether Givenchy USA owned the copyright to the box design at the time of the alleged infringement. Drug Emporium points out that the third party wholesaler from whom it obtained its supply of Amarige purchased a large quantity of the product abroad before Givenchy France sold its U.S. copyright interest in Amarige to Givenchy USA. But Drug Emporium’s alleged copyright infringement did not occur when the Amarige was imported. Rather, it occurred when Drug Emporium attempted to distribute the perfume that had been imported without Givenchy USA’s (or Givenchy France’s) authorization. 2

It is undisputed that Givenchy USA was the United States copyright owner when Drug Emporium marketed and sold the Amarige in its copyrighted package. Therefore, Givenchy USA had standing to sue under the Copyright Act.

B. Does the “first sale” doctrine protect Drug Emporium?

1. Harmonizing first sale doctrine and importation right:

The owner of a registered copyright has the “exclusive rights” to authorize or distribute copies of the copyrighted work to the public. 17 U.S.C. § 106(3). 3 However, under the “first sale” doctrine, embodied in § 109(a) of the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 109(a), a sale of a “lawfully made” copy terminates the copyright holder’s authority to interfere with subsequent sales or distribution of that particular copy. 4 Section 109(a) thus provides a defense to liability under § 106(3) for lawful purchasers of copies of copyrighted materials, so long as the copies were “lawfully made under this title.” Drug Emporium contends on appeal that this section protects it from § 602 liability for copyright infringement.

Whether Drug Emporium may rely on the first sale doctrine depends on the relationship between this doctrine and the “importation right” codified at 17 U.S.C. § 602(a). Section 602(a) provides that unauthorized importation of foreign purchased copies of U.S. copyrighted materials is an infringement of the distribution rights provided in § 106. 5 There are at least two *481 plausible interpretations of the interaction of the importation right and the first sale doctrine as embodied in §§ 602(a) and 109(a). Drug Emporium contends that § 109(a) supersedes § 602(a). In its view, a lawful sale abroad of U.S.

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38 F.3d 477, 94 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8011, 94 Daily Journal DAR 14849, 32 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1512, 16 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2642, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 29269, 1994 WL 575767, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parfums-givenchy-inc-v-drug-emporium-inc-ca9-1994.