Montz v. Pilgrim Films & Television, Inc.
Montz v....(U.S. 9th Cir., Contracts, Copyright, Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property, Media Law) In an action for copyright infringement and related state claims based on defendants’ use of plaintiffs’ materials in developing a television show involving a team of “paranormal investigators” called “Ghost Hunters”, dismissal of plaintiffs’ state-law claims is affirmed where: 1) the Copyright Act preempted plaintiffs’ implied contract claim because the rights asserted by the plaintiffs under the implied contract were equivalent to the rights of copyright owners under 17 U.S.C. section 106 — namely, the exclusive rights to use and to authorize use of their work; and 2) defendants’ alleged breach of confidence stemmed from an alleged violation of the very rights contained in section 106.
