Panoramic Stock Images, Ltd. v. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
961 F. Supp. 2d 918
N.D. Ill.2013Background
- Panoramic licenses 170 photographs to McGraw-Hill under limited licenses for use in educational publications.
- Licenses restricted copies, distribution area, image size, language, duration and media.
- Panoramic provided on December 4, 2012 a detailed listing of 276 licenses for 170 photographs; McGraw-Hill did not identify infringed photos.
- McGraw-Hill allegedly exceeded licensed uses and maintains a list of wholly unauthorized uses.
- McGraw-Hill moves to dismiss the portion of Panoramic’s claims tied to photographs lacking valid registrations under 17 U.S.C. § 411(a); the court must resolve registration-related issues.
- Court addresses whether collective-work registrations cover individual component works and whether pending registrations can support suit without fresh registration
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does a collective-work registration cover individual component photographs lacking author/title on the registration? | Panoramic argues registration of the collective work suffices for components. | McGraw-Hill argues author/title must be listed for each component. | 52 photos protected; collective-work registration may extend to components; registration upheld. |
| Can Panoramic sue for photographs with pending registrations or only for issued registrations? | Application approach should permit claims for pending registrations. | Registration approach requires issued certificates before suit. | 49 photos pending registration may support suit; application approach adopted. |
Key Cases Cited
- Muench Photography, Inc. v. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publ'g Co., 712 F. Supp. 2d 84 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) (registration of a compilation does not necessarily protect constituent parts)
- Metropolitan Regional Info. Sys., Inc. v. Am. Home Realty Network, Inc., 722 F.3d 591 (4th Cir. 2013) (collective-work registration may cover components)
- Morris v. Bus. Concepts, Inc., 259 F.3d 65 (2d Cir. 2001) (pre-suit registration requirements context)
- Publications Intl., Ltd. v. Meredith Corp., 88 F.3d 473 (7th Cir. 1996) (collection vs. original components in compilation context)
- Cosmetic Ideas, Inc. v. IAC/Interactivecorp., 606 F.3d 612 (9th Cir. 2010) (statutory interpretation of § 409/registration practices)
- Chicago Bd. of Educ. v. Substance, Inc., 354 F.3d 624 (7th Cir. 2003) (application for registration must be filed before infringement suit)
- Gaiman v. McFarlane, 360 F.3d 644 (7th Cir. 2004) (copyright registration must be filed before enforcement action)