Ronnie Van Zant, Inc. v. Pyle

270 F.Supp.3d 656

RONNIE VAN ZANT, INC., et al., Plaintiffs,

v.Artimus PYLE, et al., Defendants.

17 Civ. 3360 (RWS)

United States District Court, S.D. New York.

Signed August 23, 2017

Filed August 28, 2017

Attorneys for Plaintiffs, OTTERBOURG P.C., 230 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10169, By: Richard G. Haddad, Esq., Sandor Frankel, Esq., Pauline McTernan, Esq.

Attorneys for Defendants Cleopatra Records, Inc. and Cleopatra Films, MANDEL BHANDARI LLP, 80 Pine Street, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10005, By: Evan Mandel, Esq., Robert Glunt, Esq.

Attorney for Defendant Artimus Pyle, Defendant, pro se, Artimus Pyle, 103 Kennedy Street, Black Mountain, NC 28711

OPINION AND ORDER

Sweet, D.J.

This action was tried before the Court between July 11 and July 12, 2017. Based upon all the prior proceedings, the findings of fact, and conclusions set forth below, judgment will be entered in favor of Plaintiffs Ronnie Van Zant, Inc., Gary R. Rossington ("Rossington"), Johnny Van Zant, Barbara Houston, as the Trustee of the Allen Collins Trust, and Alicia Rapp and Carinna Gaines Biemiller, as the personal representatives of the estate of Steven Gaines (collectively, the "Plaintiffs"), granting a permanent injunction against Defendants Cleopatra Records, Inc. ("Cleopatra Records"), and Cleopatra Films (together with Cleopatra Records, "Cleopatra") and award of costs and attorneys' fees against Cleopatra and Artimus Pyle ("Pyle," and together with Cleopatra, the "Defendants"). In addition, Plaintiffs' motion for an adverse inference is granted, and Cleopatra's motions for summary judgment and judgment as a matter of law are dismissed as moot.

Findings of Fact

I. Lynyrd Skynyrd and 1977 Plane Crash

Lynyrd Skynyrd was a rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in the 1960s. (Tr. 8:4–19.¹ ) The band's founding members were Ronnie Van Zant ("Van Zant"), Rossington, and Allen Collins ("Collins"). (Tr. 8:20–22, 69:25–70:1.) Pyle joined as the band's drummer in 1975. (Tr. 11:4–7, 70:2–6.) During the 1970s, Lynyrd Skynyrd became a popular band, selling millions of albums and writing classic songs such as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird." (Tr. 10:2–11:2.) During this period, Van Zant was the band's lead singer and primary songwriter. (Tr. 11:12–24.) The band's final album, entitled "Street Survivor," was released in 1977. (Tr. 10:16–22.)

On October 20, 1977, the plane in which the band and its support team were traveling crashed in Mississippi. (Tr. 12:4–12.) As a result of the plane crash, Van Zant, Gaines, Gaines' sister, a member of the support crew, and the plane's two pilots died. (Tr. 12:4–13:2.) The remainder of the plane's passengers, including Rossington and Pyle, were critically injured but survived. (Tr. 14:9–21.)

In the aftermath of the crash, Rossington, Collins, and Van Zant's widow, now Judy Van Zant Jenness ("Jenness"), entered into what has since been termed a "blood oath," under which the three of them decided that no one would ever perform as Lynyrd Skynyrd again. (Tr. 15:4–24.) Gaines' widow, now Teresa Gaines Rapp ("Rapp"), and band keyboardist Billy Powell also witnessed the blood oath. (Tr. 15:14–17.) For ten years, former band members performed with other bands and under other band names, but no performances took place under the name "Lynyrd Skynyrd." (Tr.15:25–16:6.)

II. 1988 Action and Consent Order

In 1987, to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the crash, the band's surviving members reunited for a tribute tour to Lynyrd Skynyrd. (Tr. 16:7–18.) Jenness and the band members on the tribute tour disputed the use of the Lynyrd Skynyrd name, which culminated in a lawsuit, Grondin et ano. v. Rossington et al., 690 F.Supp. 200, in which Jenness sought to enjoin the use of the band's name in performance (the "1988 Action"). (Tr. 16:23–17:15.) On October 11, 1988, the 1988 Action was resolved by the parties' entry into a Consent Order, Judgment, and Decree (the "Consent Order," Pls.' Ex. 1). (Tr. 17:19–18:13.) Pyle, a defendant in 1988 Action and who was represented by counsel throughout the lawsuit and during the signing of the Consent Order, was one of the Consent Order's signatories; he described the aftermath of the Consent Order as everyone "on the same page" and everything was "copacetic," although he also notated adjacent to his signature on the Consent Order the words "Under Protest." (Consent Order, at 30; Deposition Transcript of Artemis Pyle dated June 20, 2017 ("Pyle Dep.") 25:8–15, 29:2–21, 30:10–23, 34:13–16.)

The Consent Order set forth, amongst many things, restrictions as to how the parties in the 1988 Action could use the name Lynyrd Skynyrd, the name, images and likeness of Van Zant and Gaines, or the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd. As relevant to the instant litigation, the Consent Order contained the following provisions:

• "[A]ll corporations owned or controlled by [any of the parties in the 1988 Action], and all agents, attorneys, employees, officers, directors, successors, assigns, and all others in concert or participation with them, are hereby jointly and severally permanently restrained and permanently enjoined from doing any of the following:

• "Using or purporting to authorize the use of the name ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’ or any logos, trade or service marks associated with the name ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd,’ in the entertainment industry or otherwise, except as specifically authorized herein;" (Consent Order ¶ 1(ii))

• "Using the name, likeness, portrait, picture, performances or biographical material of Ronnie Van Zant ... or Steven Gaines ... for any purpose whatsoever, except as specifically authorized herein." (Id. ¶ 1(iii).)

• "[The 1988 Action parties] shall have the right to use the words ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’ as part of a name ... When the name ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’ is followed immediately thereafter by, and includes, the calendar year at the time of such use .... The calendar year shall not be included in parentheses and shall be of a size, type, and prominence equal in all respects to the words ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd.’ " (Id. ¶ 2(a) (the "Date Requirement").)

• For purposes of live musical performances, either both Rossington and Collins must appear on stage together as active players for substantially the entire duration of the live performance, or Rossington or Collins must appear along with two of the following four musicians: Pyle, Leon Wilkeson, Billy Powell, or Ed King. (Id. ¶ 2(c) (the "Rule of Three").)

• "Each of the [1988 Action parties] shall have the right to exploit his (or with respect to the Estates, the applicable decedent's) own respective life story in any manner or medium, including without limitation, in books or other print publications and in theatrical feature or television motion picture, without obligation, financial or otherwise, to any other party hereto. In such connection, each of the foregoing shall have the right to refer to ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’ and related matters and to describe and portray his experience(s) with ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd,’ provided that no such exploitation of life state rights is authorized which purpose to be a history of the ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’ band, as opposed to the life story of the applicable individual." (Id. ¶ 3.)

• "There shall be no exploitation in whole or in part of the history of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band without the prior written approval of Rossington, Collins and [Van Zant's] Estate. In the event Rossington or Collins dies or is incapacitated, his respective estate or other legal representative shall be entitled to exercise the approval rights granted pursuant to [this paragraph.]" (Id. ¶ 4.)

• "No [defendant in the 1988 Action] shall make any use of the name, likeness, portrait, picture, or biographical material or Van Zant or of Gaines except pursuant to [certain enumerated conditions, such as record merchandising and particular tribute tours]." (Id. ¶ 5.)

• "[Defendants in the 1988 Action] shall not be in violation of this Order if a third party fails to comply with the terms herein contained; provided that, upon learning of each such failure, the [1988 Action defendants] immediately notify [the 1988 Action plaintiffs] and ... immediately notify such third party of the applicable terms hereof and demand prompt compliance with all such terms. In no event shall the [1988 Action defendants] implicitly or through inaction authorize the violation of the terms hereof by any third party." (Id. ¶ 26.)

• "This Court shall retain jurisdiction over this action and over the parties for the purpose of enforcing the provisions hereof." (Id. ¶ 33.)

• "An amount equal to actual and reasonable attorneys [sic] fees shall be award to the prevailing party in any proceeding brought to enforce the terms and conditions of this Order." (Id. ¶ 34.)

• "The parties hereto may unanimously agree to amend their respective rights and obligations pursuant to this Order, without seeking further intervention of the Court, provided such shall be in a writing signed by all parties." (Id. ¶ 37.)

• Provisions containing formulas detailing the respective parties' rights to royalties from Lynyrd Skynyrd music, merchandise, and other proceeds. (Seeid. ¶¶ 10–12, 14–16, 21.)

III. Consent Order Aftermath

Following the Consent Order, the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, including Pyle, continued to perform under the "Lynyrd Skynyrd" name. (Tr. 19:8–18; Pyle Dep. 34:3–24, 41:23–43:3, 104:18–105:16.) Pyle ceased performing with the surviving Lynyrd Skynyrd band in 1991, at which point he signed a termination agreement. (Tr. 19:19–25; Pyle Dep. 35:21–37:24; see Pls.' Ex. 61.)

While the conditions of the Consent Order were to distinguish between the pre-crash and post-crash band and avoid confusing the fans, not every provision has been consistently followed since 1988. (Tr. 24:16–19.) Since around 1992, the band has performed using the name Lynyrd Skynyrd but not in accordance with the Date Requirement provision of the Consent Order, a provision that stopped being followed after the still-performing band members asked Jenness and...