Peterman v. Republican Nat'l Comm.
Peterman v. Republican Nat'l Comm.
Opinion of the Court
Before the Court are the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment (Docs. 31 & 37) and Plaintiff Erika Peterman's motion to compel (Doc. 54). The Court grants the motion for summary judgment of Defendant Republican National Committee ("RNC"), denies Peterman's partial motion for summary judgment on the merits, and denies Peterman's motion to compel as moot.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
In the spring of 2017, Peterman contracted with the Montana Democratic Party ("MDP") to take photographs on March 18, 2017 at the Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner, an annual Democratic fundraising event. (Doc. 28 at 4.) For a $ 500 fee, Peterman photographed the event. (Doc. 28 at 4.) Several of the photos feature Rob Quist, a singer-songwriter and then-Democratic candidate for Montana's lone seat in the House of Representatives. (Doc. 33-2.) One of the photos (referred to as the "Work") shows Quist neck-up from behind, his cowboy hat slightly illuminated, with three stage lights in the distance. (Doc. 1-1.)
Peterman edited the photos and shared them with the MDP on March 21, 2017. (Doc. 28 at 5.) Peterman retained ownership of the pictures, granting unrestricted royalty-free licenses to the MDP and the Quist Campaign for no additional fee. (Doc. 28 at 6.) As licensees, both the MDP and the Quist Campaign posted the Work to Facebook without including any photographer attribution or copyright information. The MDP posted the Work without a caption and as part of a series of images *1058from the Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner, and the Quist Campaign posted the Work as a stand-alone image, captioned with an invitation to a public lands rally. (Doc. 33-7 at 6.)
On May 9, 2017, Peterman learned that an independent expenditure unit of the RNC had issued mailers appropriating the Work and criticizing Quist to bolster the campaign of his Republican opponent, Congressman Greg Gianforte. The vendor that prepared the mailer on the RNC's behalf had downloaded the photo as a high-resolution image directly from the Quist Campaign's Facebook page. (Doc. 33-5.) No copyright information or photographer credit was included on the Facebook post, and the parties agree that it would have been reasonable for the RNC to assume that the Quist Campaign owned the Work. (Doc. 40 at 7-8.)
The mailer includes three images of Quist, all of which the RNC's vendor found on the Quist Campaign's Facebook page.
On May 12, 2017, Peterman registered the Work with the Copyright Office. (Doc. 28 at 6.) She filed her Complaint on May 16, 2017, alleging copyright infringement and intentional interference with economic advantage. (Doc. 1.) On March 19, 2018, this Court granted in part and denied in part the RNC's motion to dismiss, dismissing Peterman's claim for intentional interference with economic advantage and allowing the copyright infringement claim to proceed. (Doc. 19.)
LEGAL STANDARD
Where, as here, "parties submit cross-motions for summary judgment, each motion must be considered on its own merits." Fair Hous. Council of Riverside Cty., Inc. v. Riverside Two ,
"Fair use is a mixed question of law and fact." Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. v. Nation Enters. ,
DISCUSSION
The parties do not dispute that Peterman owns the Work and that the RNC reproduced and distributed the Work, establishing Peterman's prima facie case of copyright infringement. See Mattel Inc. v. Walking Mountain Prods. ,
The Court agrees with the parties that there is no genuine dispute of material fact bearing on the fair use inquiry. Because it finds that the relevant factors weigh in favor of fair use, it grants the RNC's motion for summary judgment and does not reach the remainder of the issues.
"[T]he fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction ... for purposes such as criticism[ ] [or] comment ... is not an infringement of copyright."
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
Fair use "permits the use of copyrighted works without the copyright owner's consent under certain situations," serving the goal of stimulating ingenuity and promoting the free exchange of ideas without sacrificing creators' rights to their work product. Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc. ,
A. Purpose and Character of the Use
The first factor is "the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for *1060nonprofit educational purposes."
1. Transformation
Transformation, "a judicially-created consideration that does not appear in the text of the statute," Monge ,
A work is transformative when it does not "merely supersede the objects of the original creation" but "adds something new, with a further purpose or different character, altering the first with new expression, meaning, or message."
The RNC argues that its use is transformative both because it altered the original and because, in the context of the mailer, the nature of the Work changed. The RNC made two minimal alterations to the Work,
More significantly, the RNC added a treble clef and text critical of Quist to the bottom-left corner of the image, repeating a visual theme used throughout the mailer. On its own, this alteration would not be enough to render the use transformative.
*1061In its Order on the RNC's motion to dismiss, the Court did not have the entire mailer before it-only the back panel appropriating the Work. At that stage of litigation, the Court determined that this addition was not sufficiently transformative.
The Court now has the mailer before it, and the RNC's context-based argument requires further examination. The mailer uses Quist's musicianship to criticize his candidacy, subverting the purpose and function of the Work. With the addition of the treble clefs and text throughout, the mailer attempts to create an association between Quist's musical background and liberal political views. In the context of the mailer, the image from the Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner is tied to the images of Quist on the front and interior panels; Quist even appears to be wearing the same clothes throughout, suggesting that Quist is giving a single musical performance. On the front panel, a serious-looking Quist holds his guitar. In the center of the mailer, he and Pelosi are playing side by side. On the back panel, Quist is isolated on stage, lights shining down, conveying a sense of stark emptiness and suggesting that there is no connection between the musician and the unseen audience. In this context, the image takes on a new meaning.
In light of the mailer's clearly critical messaging, the Court finds that the RNC's use "alter[ed] [ ] the expressive content or message of the original work." Seltzer v. Green Day, Inc. ,
The question is not, as both parties suggest to some degree, what Peterman and the RNC subjectively intended to convey through Peterman's creation and the RNC's use of the image. Peterman argues at length that her intent was not to advance Quist's candidacy but only, in her words, "to highlight [Quist's] duality as a political candidate and performing artist." (Doc. 38 at 16.) She claims that the RNC shared Peterman's intent because it, too, wanted to associate Quist's musicianship with his candidacy. Although the Court is skeptical of Peterman's asserted indifference to whether her photo (licensed royalty-free to the Quist campaign) depicted Quist positively, there is, perhaps, a factual dispute as to whether Peterman was motivated by her political beliefs.
However, that factual dispute is not material and does not affect the analysis under the first factor, which focuses on the "purpose and character of the use ," not the creator's purpose in creating the original work.
Peterman argues that, as a matter of law, transformation cannot be found under Monge v. Maya Magazines, Inc. , a "telenovela" of a case "pit[ting] music celebrities, who make money by promoting themselves, against a gossip magazine, that makes money by publishing celebrity photographs, with a paparazzo, who apparently stole the disputed pictures, stuck in the *1062middle."
Applying the searching, "case-by-case" inquiry demanded under fair use doctrine, the Court cannot agree that Monge controls. Harper & Row ,
In spite of the minimal alterations made to the Work itself, viewing the RNC's use of the Work within the broader context of the mailer, the Court determines that the RNC's use was transformative.
2. Commerciality
By statute, relevant to the first fair use factor is the issue of whether the RNC's "use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes."
The mailer was "clearly part of a political campaign message, noncommercial in nature." Keep Thomson Governor Comm. ,
*1063Peterman nonetheless argues that "[t]he RNC profited from its use of the Work because it stood to gain publicity, voters, and campaign donations. If the RNC didn't stand to profit in some way from the use of the Work, it would have had no reason to use it." (Doc. 38 at 20.) As a preliminary matter, the RNC did not solicit campaign donations through the mailer. Moreover, self-interest is not equivalent to commerciality; if Peterman's proposed interpretation of commerciality were adopted, no use would be commercial.
The mailer's noncommercial purpose bolsters the RNC's position as to the first factor of the fair use inquiry. Considering both transformation and commerciality, the Court finds that the first factor weighs in favor of fair use.
B. Nature of the Copyrighted Work
The second factor focuses not on the alleged infringer's use but on the "nature of the copyrighted work" itself.
In its Order on the RNC's motion to dismiss, the Court concluded that this factor weighs against fair use. Additional factual development changes the analysis, and the Court now finds the factor inconclusive.
The photograph was published prior to its use in the mailer, which strengthens the RNC's claim to fair use. See Harper & Row ,
However, on the other side of the equation, the Work is at least as creative as it is informative. The RNC contends that Peterman's photos were purely informative, *1064as she contracted with the MDP to document the Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner. Peterman argues that the framing and composition of the Work demonstrate that it is an artistic work. Both parties are partially correct. Although the Work is functional, it is also unequivocally creative. Compare Ets-Hokin v. Skyy Spirits, Inc. ,
Considering both the publication of the Work and the creativity reflected in the image, the Court determines that the "nature of the copyrighted work" weighs neither for nor against fair use.
C. Amount and Substantiality of Portion Used
The third factor in the fair use inquiry is the "[t]he amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole."
If the subsequent user of the work "only copies as much as is necessary for his or her intended use, then this factor will not weigh against him or her." Kelly v. Arriba Soft Corp. ,
In its Order on the RNC's motion to dismiss, the Court determined that the RNC copied essentially the entirety of the Work. Further factual development does not change the Court's analysis. As discussed under the first factor, the RNC made minimal changes to the image before sending out the mailer. If anything, the RNC's contention-that it could not reasonably appropriate part of the image and retain the meaning it wished to convey-actually strengthens Peterman's position. See Harper & Row ,
The third factor weighs against fair use.
*1065D. Effect on the Market
The fourth factor is "the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work." 17 U.S.C. 107(4). It is "undoubtedly the single most important element of fair use" because it strikes at the heart of the policy served by the Copyright Act. Harper & Row ,
Ultimately, the fourth factor asks whether the use serves a "different market function" than the original. Campbell ,
Here, the undisputed facts demonstrate that the RNC's use did not and will not interfere with Peterman's ability to profit from the original Work. The burden of establishing each factor of the fair use defense falls on the party asserting the defense, presenting a challenge for the defendant, who must demonstrate the nonexistence of a market for the original. See Campbell ,
Peterman received the entirety of her $ 500 fee to photograph the Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner. With Peterman's permission and pursuant to an agreement that Peterman would receive no additional fee for their use of the Work, the Quist Campaign and the MDP made the Work available for download on Facebook without including any photographer attribution or copyright information. It is unclear how the Work could conceivably have any future commercial value to Peterman. The Work has no recognizable value outside of Quist's congressional campaign, and that value has been fully realized by Peterman.
Peterman's own arguments demonstrate the relative strength of the RNC's position on this factor. Peterman argues that "[i]t is possible [she] lost additional revenue from customers who might have licensed her images but did not do so because should could not guarantee the images' exclusivity. In addition, the Montana Democratic Party may not hire [her] in the future to shoot their events because she cannot guarantee her images' exclusivity." (Doc. 38 at 24.) However, the Copyright Act does not exist to protect artists' general reputations. No artist can guarantee exclusivity; every copyrighted work is subject to fair use.
*1066What is more, the Supreme Court has considered and rejected the argument that the fourth factor is satisfied when the original work loses value due to criticism. Copyright law recognizes the difference between "potentially remediable displacement and unremediable disparagement." Campbell ,
Thus, the fourth and most important factor of the fair use inquiry supports a finding of fair use. Weighing the four factors of the test, the Court determines that the undisputed facts establish that the RNC is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The third factor-the amount and substantiality of the portion used-weighs against fair use. The second factor supports neither party, as the original work was both creative and freely available online. However, the other two factors are determinative. The RNC's use was moderately transformative and wholly noncommercial, and it performed a different market function than did the original.
Because RNC is entitled to summary judgment on its fair use defense, the Court does not reach the issue of willfulness, and it denies as moot Peterman's motion to compel, which is relevant only to that issue.
Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 31) is GRANTED, and Plaintiff's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 37) is DENIED. Plaintiff's Motion to Compel (Doc. 54) is DENIED as moot.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of Court shall enter judgment of dismissal by separate document and shall close this case.
In addition to the Work, the mailer includes two screenshots from a video posted to the Facebook page. (Doc. 33-5 at 4.) The other two images are not at issue in this litigation.
The RNC argues that its good faith belief in the legality of its action and First Amendment free speech principles should be discussed within the first factor. Good faith is relevant-if at all-to a fair use defense only to the degree that a party "abuse[s] ... the good faith and fair dealing underpinnings of the fair use doctrine." Perfect 10 ,
The RNC did not itself design the mailer, using services provided by a vendor, Majority Strategies, which is not a party to this lawsuit. The Court refers to the RNC for the sake of simplicity, as RNC's potential liability for issuing the mailers designed by Majority Strategies is not at issue.
The RNC asks the Court to go several steps further, arguing that its use of the Work to further a political message is entitled to First Amendment protection above and beyond that built into the Copyright Act. However, the fair use defense is itself a "built-in First Amendment accommodation," and the RNC cites to no precedent supporting its position that the First Amendment demands an additional layer of protection. Eldred ,
Peterman suggests that the Court should turn a blind eye to the use of the photo by the MDP and the Quist Campaign because she owns the Work and they merely had a license to use the Work. She also states-without any legal or factual support-that the license given to the MDP and the Quist Campaign was exclusive. (See Doc. 38 at 8). However, the public distribution of the image by the MDP and the Quist Campaign is relevant to the "value of the materials used." Campbell ,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Erika PETERMAN v. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published