Parker V. Winwood, No. 16-Cv-00684-JPM-An, 2017 BL 448871 (M.D
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Prepared for: Charles Cronin Court Opinions Parker v. Winwood, No. 16-cv-00684-JPM-an, 2017 BL 448871 (M.D. Tenn. Oct. 17, 2017), Court Opinion Jump To ∠ Pagination ∠ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE DIVISION WILLA DEAN PARKER and ROSE BANKS as successor to Homer Banks, Plaintiffs, v. MERVYN WINWOOD, SPENSER DAVIS, STEVE WINWOOD, THE SPENSER DAVIS GROUP, KOBALT MUSIC PUBLISHING, and UNIVERSAL-SONGS OF POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL, INC., Defendants. No. 16-cv-00684-JPM-an October 17, 2017, Filed October 17, 2017, Decided For Willia Dean "deanie" Parker, Rose Banks, successor Homer Banks, Plaintiffs: Lani D. Lester, Taylor A. Cates, Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC, Memphis, TN USA. For Mervyn "muff" Winwood, Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood, Individually and collectively doing business as, The Spencer Davis Group, Kobalt Music Publishing, Defendants: Jay Scott Bowen, Lauren E. Kilgore, Rebekah L. Shulman, Shackelford Bowen McKinley Norton, LLP, Nashville, TN USA. For Universal-Songs of Polygram International, Inc., Defendant: Barry I. Slotnick, Loeb & Loeb LLP, New York, NY USA; Brittany A. Schaffer, Loeb & Loeb, LLP (Nashville), Nashville, TN USA. JON P. McCALLA, UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE. JON P. McCALLA ORDER CONCERNING DISPOSITIVE MOTIONS (ECF NOS. 32, 38, 54, & 76) The cause is before the Court on several Defendants' three motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 32, 38, and 76) and one motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 54.) This action arises from the alleged copyright infringement of a riff (a distinct pattern of musical notes) from the song "Ain't That a Lot of Love" in the song "Gimme Some Lovin" Before the Court are three motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 32, 38, & 76) and one motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 54). For the reasons stated below, the Court DENIES Defendants Stephen ("Steve") Winwood and Kobalt's Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 32); GRANTS Defendant Mervyn Winwood's Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 76); GRANTS in part and DENIES in part Defendant Universal's Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 38); and GRANTS summary judgment in favor of Defendants Steve Winwood and Kobalt (ECF No. 54). I. BACKGROUND A. Factual Background Willa Dean Parker and Homer Banks ("H. Banks") co-authored the song "Ain't That a Lot of Love" in 1965. (ECF No. 1 at PageID 4.) The Spenser Davis Group—Spenser Davis, Meryvn Winwood, and Steve Winwood—formed in 1963 in England. (ECF No. 64 ¶ 5.) On April 5, 1966, members of The Spenser Davis Group created "Gimme Some Lovin'." ( Id. ¶ 11.) On April 28, 1966, "Ain't That a Lot of Love" was registered with the US Copyright Office. (ECF No. 64 ¶ 4.) The Spenser Davis Group toured Europe in 1966 performing the song "Gimme Some Lovin'" and other songs on the album containing "Gimme Some Lovin'." (ECF No. 64 ¶ 9.) The group first recorded "Gimme Some Lovin'" on June 9-10, 14, 1966. (ECF No. 64 ¶ 17.) On September 21, 1966, "Gimme Some Lovin'" was remixed to add piano, percussion, and background vocals along with a new lead vocal by Steve Winwood—the master tap of this recording is dated "21-9-66." (ECF No. 64 ¶ 18.) On October 7, 1966, "Ain't That a Lot of Love" was released in the United Kingdom. (ECF No. 64 ¶ 25.) "Gimme Some Lovin'" was commercially released in the United Kingdom on October 28, 1966. (ECF No. 64 ¶ 25.) On March 6, 1967, "Gimme Some Lovin'" was registered with the US Copyright Office. (ECF No. 64 ¶ 3.) On March 12, 1966 Parker and H. Banks entered into an agreement with East Publications, [*2] Inc. The agreement states in relevant part: (1) The Writer hereby sells, assigns, transfers and delivers to the Publisher, its successors and assigns all of his rights, title and interest in and to a certain heretofore unpublished original work, as annexed hereto, written and/or composed by Writer, now entitled "AIN'T THAT A LOT OF LOVE" Including the title, words and/or music thereof, as well as the entire exclusive right to publicly perform and televise, together with the right to accure [sic] copyrights and renewals therein throughout the world, as proprietor in its own name, or otherwise, and to have and to hold the said work, copyrights and renewals thereof and all rights whatsoever nature thereunder existing. (3) In consideration of this Agreement, the Publisher agrees to pay the Writer, jointly, only the following royalties: . 0.05% per copy, in respect of regular piano copies and/or orchestrations, sold in the United States and for which the Publisher received payment . 50% of the net amount received by the Publisher, in respect to any licenses issued authorizing the manufacture of parts . [to] reproduce said word . (ECF No. 40-1 at PageID 191.) Parker and H. Banks then entered into a Songwriter's Agreement on October 4, 1968. (ECF No. 40-2 at PageID 193.) Similar to the first agreement, this agreement assigned both Parker and H. Banks's rights to East Memphis Music Corp. ( Id.) In exchange for the assignment, Parker and H. Banks would receive $0.06 "per copy for each regular piano copy," 10% of wholesale priced copies, in addition to 50% "of all net sums . with respect to said composition(s) from any other source or right . ." ( Id.) B. Procedural Background Plaintiffs Willa Dean Parker and Rose Banks, as successors in interest to H. Banks, filed a Complaint for copyright infringement against Defendants on March 29, 2016. (ECF No. 1.) Plaintiffs allege that Defendants Mervyn Winwood, Steve Winwood, Spenser Davis, The Spenser Davis Group, Kobalt Music Publishing ("Kobalt"), and Universal Songs of Polygram International, Inc. ("Universal") (collectively, "Defendants") infringed Plaintiffs' "Ain't That a Lot of Love" copyright. ( Id. ¶ 12.) Plaintiffs specifically allege that Defendants (1) had access to "Ain't That a Lot of Love" prior to creating "Gimme Some Lovin'," and (2) knowingly incorporated the "riff" (a distinct note pattern) from Plaintiffs' song in "Gimme Some Lovin'." ( Id. ¶¶ 35-36.) On August 5, 2016, Defendants Steve Winwood and Kobalt filed a Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 32.) Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition on August 16, 2016. (ECF No. 34.) With leave of Court, Defendants Steve Winwood and Kobalt filed a reply on September 14, 2016. (ECF Nos. 42 & 43.) On August 30, 2016, Defendant Universal filed a Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 38.) On September 15, 2016, Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition. (ECF No. 44.) With leave of Court, Universal filed a reply on October 5, 2016. (ECF Nos. 46, 48.) On October 12, 2016, Defendants Steven Winwood and Kobalt moved for "Leave to File a Response to Defendant [Universal]'s Reply to Plainitffs' Response in Opposition to [Universal's] Motion to Dismiss." (ECF No. 49.) The Court granted leave to file a response no later [*3] than October 26, 2017. (ECF No. 51.) Defendants Steven Winwood and Kobalt did not file a response. On February 7, 2017, Defendants Steve Winwood and Kobalt filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 54.) Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition on February 28, 2017. (ECF No. 64.) Defendants Steve Winwood and Kobalt filed a reply on March 17, 2017. (ECF No. 72.) On April 17, 2017, Defendant Mervyn Winwood filed a timely Motion to Dismiss. (ECF Nos. 63, 71, 73, 76.) Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition on April 28, 2017. (ECF No. 86.) Defendant Mervyn Winwood filed a reply on May 12, 2017. (ECF No. 89.) On July 11, 2017, Defendants Steve Winwood, Mervyn Winwood, and Kobalt filed a Motion to Extend Deadlines. (ECF No. 90.) Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition on July 12, 2017. (ECF No. 91.) II. LEGAL STANDARD A. Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) allows dismissal of a complaint that "fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." As such, a Rule 12(b)(6) motion permits the "defendant to test whether, as a matter of law, the plaintiff is entitled to legal relief even if everything alleged in the complaint is true." Mayer v. Mylod, 988 F.2d 635 , 638 (6th Cir. 1993) (citing Nishiyama v. Dickson Cnty., 814 F.2d 277 , 279 (6th Cir. 1987)). When evaluating a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, the Court must determine whether the complaint alleges "sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 , 678 , 129 S. Ct. 1937 , 173 L. Ed. 2d 868 (2009) (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 , 570 , 127 S. Ct. 1955 , 167 L. Ed. 2d 929 (2007)). If a court decides in light of its judicial experience and common sense, that the claim is not plausible, the case may be dismissed at the pleading stage. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679 . The "[f]actual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above [a] speculative level." Ass'n of Cleveland Fire Fighters v. City of Cleveland, 502 F.3d 545 , 548 (6th Cir. 2007) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555 ). A claim is plausible on its face if "the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556 ). A complaint need not contain detailed factual allegations. However, a plaintiff's "[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice." Id . When deciding a 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the court may look to "matters of public record, orders, items appearing in the record of the case and exhibits attached to the complaint" for guidance.