Romantics v. Activision Pub., Inc.

Page 758

574 F.Supp.2d 758

The ROMANTICS a/k/a Master Beat, Inc.; Wally Palmar; Mike Skill; and Coz Canler, Plaintiff(s), v. ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.; Redoctane, Inc.; and Wavegroup Sound, Defendant(s).

No. 07-14969.

United States District Court, E.D. Michigan, Southern Division.

August 19, 2008.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

William H. Horton, Cox, Hodgman, Elizabeth A. Favaro, Sean M. Walsh, Giarmarco, Mullins, Troy, MI, for Plaintiffs.

Brian D. Wassom, Herschel P. Fink, Honigman, Miller, Detroit, MI, for Defendants.

OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS' MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [48] AND DENYING PLAINTIFFS' CROSMOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMARY JUDGMENT [57]

NANCY G. EDMUNDS, District Judge.

Plaintiffs The Romantics a/k/a Master Beat, Inc., Wally Palmar, Mike Skill, and Coz Canler filed this action against Defendants Activision Publishing, Inc., RedOctane, Inc., and WaveGroup Sound.¹ Plaintiffs assert four causes of action: violation of their right of publicity (Count I), false endorsement under the Lanham Act (Count II), unfair competition (Count III), and unjust enrichment (Count IV). Defendants argue that Plaintiffs cannot establish a prima facie case for any of their claims, that the claims are preempted by the First Amendment, and that the right of publicity claim is preempted by the Copyright Act. This matter comes before the Court on the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment.² For the reasons set forth below, Defendants' motion is GRANTED, and Plaintiffs' motion is DENIED.

I. Facts

A. Defendants and the Game

The basis of this lawsuit is Defendants' use of the musical composition "What I Like About You" (written and originally recorded in 1979 by The Romantics and published in 1980) (the "Song") in the video game "Guitar Hero Encore: Rock's the 80's" ("the Game"). The Game is a part of the "Guitar Hero" video game franchise, which includes a series of games, guitar shaped game controllers, accessories, and merchandise under the "Guitar Hero" trademark. This franchise has been very successful, winning numerous accolades and becoming the top selling franchise for console video games as of September 2007.

The Game allows players to pretend they are playing guitar in a rock band. Play begins as players choose among options such as character, costume, and model of guitar, and then simulate the guitar play of various songs by correctly timing the pressing of fret buttons and strum bars on a guitar-like controller. The Game includes thirty songs from the 1980's to add to the realistic experience of playing in a rock band from that era. Each song in the Game has a level of difficulty, and only after reaching a certain proficiency on a song can a player advance to another more difficult song. The graphic video elements of the Game require complex synchronization with each song to enable the realistic simulation of guitar play.

Defendant Activision Publishing, Inc., the distributor of the Game and the parent of Defendant RedOctane, Inc., the publisher of the Game, obtained a valid nonexclusive synchronization license from EMI Entertainment World, Inc., the owner of the copyright in the Song. A synch license, in the context of a video game, permits Defendants to make a new recording of the underlying composition and to use that recording in synchronization with visual images in the video game to enable game play. In accordance with this license, Defendant WaveGroup Sound recorded a new version of the Song which was incorporated, or synchronized, into the Game. The Game was commercially released in July 2007.

While playing the Game, a player can encounter the Song or any reference to The Romantics only if the player obtains an advanced player status. Theoretically, a player could play the Game and never reach the advanced level of play necessary to encounter the Song, which is among thirty tracks included in the Game. If and when a player encounters the Song, it is clearly identified by the Song title and the words "as made famous by The Romantics," which informs players and onlookers that The Romantics are not actually performing the Song. Defendants never have used the Song for the purpose of advertising or marketing the Game, and neither the name The Romantics nor any of the names of individual Plaintiffs appear on the product packaging.

B. Plaintiffs and The Song

Plaintiffs Wally Palmar, Mike Skill, and Coz Canler are current members of the rock band The Romantics. The Romantics created the original master recording embodying the Song in 1979, which was released in 1980. Not all Plaintiffs participated in the master recording of the Song, and the lead singer on the master recording of the Song is no longer with The Romantics, nor is he a party to this action. Plaintiffs do not allege that they currently own any rights in the Song.

The Song has appeared ubiquitously in popular culture for the past two decades and is frequently used in commercials and films. Plaintiffs contend that a substantial number of ordinarily prudent consumers of Defendants' Game have been, or are likely to be in the future, confused, deceived, or mistaken about whether Plaintiffs sponsored or endorsed the Game.

C. Procedural History

In November 2007, Plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the manufacture, distribution, sale, or marketing of the Game during the pendency of this case. The Court heard the motion on December 18, 2007 and denied the motion in an opinion and order dated January 22, 2008. (Docket Text # 44.) This matter is now before the Court on the parties' crossmotions for summary judgment.

II. Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate only when there is "no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The central inquiry is "whether the evidence presents a sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or whether it is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 251-52, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Rule 56(c) mandates summary judgment against a party who fails to establish the existence of an element essential to the party's case and on which that party bears the burden of proof at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

The moving party bears the initial burden of showing the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. Once the moving party meets this burden, the non-movant must come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). In evaluating a motion for summary judgment, the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). The non-moving party may not rest upon its mere allegations, however, but rather "must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). The mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the non-moving party's position will not suffice. Rather, there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the non-moving party. Hopson v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 306 F.3d 427, 432 (6th Cir.2002).

III. Analysis

Plaintiffs have asserted four causes of action in this case: violation of their right of publicity (Count I), false endorsement under the Lanham Act (Count II), unfair competition (Count III), and unjust enrichment (Count IV). The Court will address each claim in turn.

A. Right of Publicity

Plaintiffs assert that "[w]henever a song is created, three distinct rights arise": (1) the right in the sound recording, (2) the publishing right (i.e. the right in the underlying musical composition), and (3) a "publicity right, which is derived from the particular sound of the singer or band's voices or sounds, with which they are often identified." (Pls.' Mot. at 4-5.) It is this so-called "publicity right" that forms the basis of Plaintiffs' first claim.

Defendants attack this claim on numerous fronts. They argue that no such right exists under Michigan law and that the claim is preempted by the First Amendment and by the Copyright Act. The Court will address each argument separately.

1. Right of Publicity Under Michigan Law

Plaintiffs' right of publicity claim is governed by state law. Parks v. LaFace Records, 329 F.3d 437, 459 (6th Cir.2003). Michigan has recognized a general right to publicity. See, e.g., Carson v. Here's Johnny Portable Toilets, Inc., 698 F.2d 831, 834 (6th Cir.1983) (suggesting that Michigan courts would adopt the right of publicity and noting that Michigan has recognized a right of privacy); Tobin v. Mich. Civil Serv. Comm'n, 416 Mich. 661, 331 N.W.2d 184, 189 (1982) (recognizing protection against "[a]ppropriation, for the defendant's advantage, of the plaintiff's name or likeness"). Michigan never has recognized, however, a right of publicity in the sound of a voice, even if distinctive, nor has it recognized a right of publicity in a combination of voices. In fact, in a case cited by Plaintiffs, the Michigan Court of Appeals held that "no cognizable tort for negligent misappropriation of an unknown singer's voice exists in Michigan." Edwards v. Church of God in Christ, No. 220348, 2002 WL 393577, * 2 (Mich.Ct.App. March 8, 2002).

In response, Plaintiffs take two tacks. First, they attempt to analogize this case with Carson, where the Sixth Circuit held that the defendant appropriated Johnny Carson's identity, even though it didn't use his name, because the phrase "Here's Johnny" was associated with Carson's identity as a celebrity. Carson, 698 F.2d at 837. Plaintiffs argue that, similarly, their "distinctive sound" is an...