Northland Family Planning Clinic, Inc. v. Center for Bio-Ethical Reform
868 F. Supp. 2d 962
C.D. Cal.2012Background
- Northland owns a valid copyright in the Northland Video (2009).
- Defendants created TAG and CBR videos that use substantial portions of the Northland Video without Northland’s permission.
- Defendants argue their videos are fair uses and transformative parodies/commentary.
- Northland alleges infringement and seeks a ruling that fair use does not apply.
- The court addresses cross-motions for summary judgment on fair use and related infringement liability.
- Northland’s evidence shows the videos mix verbatim Northland footage with graphic abortion imagery to criticize Northland’s message.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Northland Video was fair use in the TAG video | Northland: not fair use; verbatim copying undermines parody | Cunningham/CBR: parody/criticism; transformative | Fair use; transformations and commentary sufficient |
| Whether the CBR videos are transformative parodies of the Northland Video | Northland: not parody; targets Northland’s views | CBR: parody/commentary; adds new context | Fair use; sufficiently transformative and critical of the original |
| Whether the use harmed the market for the Northland Video | Northland: parodies harmed potential licensing/ sales | Fair use defense negates market harm when transformative | No cognizable market harm; factor weighs in defendants’ favor |
| Whether Defendants may be liable for vicarious/contributory infringement given fair use | Northland: fair use negates infringement liability | If fair use applies, no infringement | No vicarious/contributory infringement due to fair use |
Key Cases Cited
- Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., 510 U.S. 569 (U.S. 1994) (parody transforms original; four-factor fair use test applied)
- Mattel, Inc. v. Walking Mountain Prods., 353 F.3d 792 (9th Cir. 2003) (parody; transformative use; nonliteral transformation allowed)
- Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. v. Nation Enters., 471 U.S. 539 (U.S. 1985) (copyright fair use; news reporting/criticism context)
- Fisher v. Dees, 794 F.2d 432 (9th Cir. 1986) (parody/transformative use; reasonable copying allowed in parody)
- Blanch v. Koons, 467 F.3d 244 (2d Cir. 2006) (satire vs parody; usefulness of transformation in fair use)
- Air Pirates Prod., Inc. v. Disney, et al., 581 F.2d 751 (9th Cir. 1978) (graphic/video parody/transformative use; extent of copying considered)