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Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

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copying, <strong>the</strong> defendants removed <strong>the</strong> copied materials. After removal of <strong>the</strong> copied materials,but before <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs knew that <strong>the</strong> copied materials had been removed, <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs sent twoDMCA notices to <strong>the</strong> OSPs hosting <strong>the</strong> defendants’ web site. In both instances, <strong>the</strong> OSPs shutdown <strong>the</strong> defendants’ web site in resp<strong>on</strong>se. The defendants claimed that <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs’ noticesunder <strong>the</strong> DMCA violated Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(f) and sought an injuncti<strong>on</strong> preventing <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs fromfur<strong>the</strong>r interfering with <strong>the</strong>ir web site. 2039The court ruled <strong>the</strong> defendants had failed to present sufficient evidence that <strong>the</strong> plaintiffsknowingly materially misrepresented to <strong>the</strong> OSPs that <strong>the</strong> defendants’ web site was infringing.The plaintiffs had submitted ample evidence and testim<strong>on</strong>y that <strong>the</strong>y believed <strong>the</strong> defendants’web site violated <strong>the</strong>ir copyright when <strong>the</strong> DMCA notices were submitted. Accordingly, <strong>the</strong>court denied <strong>the</strong> defendants’ claim under Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(f). However, <strong>the</strong> court granted apreliminary injuncti<strong>on</strong> barring <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs from sending additi<strong>on</strong>al DMCA notices in view of<strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong> court had ruled that <strong>the</strong> defendants’ web site, after <strong>the</strong> copied materials had beenremoved, was not substantially similar to <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs’ web site. 2040(vi) Lenz v. Universal Music Corp.In Lenz v. Universal Music Corp., 2041 Stephanie Lenz videotaped her toddler s<strong>on</strong> dancingin <strong>the</strong> family’s kitchen to <strong>the</strong> s<strong>on</strong>g titled “Let’s Go Crazy” owned by <strong>the</strong> plaintiff, and posted <strong>the</strong>video <strong>on</strong> YouTube.com. The plaintiffs sent a DMCA takedown notice to YouTube, whichresp<strong>on</strong>ded by removing <strong>the</strong> video from <strong>the</strong> site. Lenz sent YouTube a counter-notificati<strong>on</strong> under<strong>the</strong> DMCA, demanding that her video be re-posted because it did not infringe <strong>the</strong> plaintiff’scopyrights, and <strong>the</strong> video was <strong>the</strong>n re-posted by YouTube. Lenz <strong>the</strong>n filed an acti<strong>on</strong> against <strong>the</strong>plaintiffs under Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(f) seeking redress for <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs’ alleged misuse of <strong>the</strong> DMCAtakedown process, arguing that her posting was a self-evident n<strong>on</strong>-infringing fair use. 2042The court rejected Lenz’s claim. Citing <strong>the</strong> Rossi case discussed in subsecti<strong>on</strong> (i) above,<strong>the</strong> court ruled that Lenz must show a knowing misrepresentati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> part of <strong>the</strong> copyrightowner in filing <strong>the</strong> takedown notice in order to establish liability under Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(f). The courtnoted that <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs had not c<strong>on</strong>ceded that <strong>the</strong> posting was a fair use, and Lenz had failed toallege facts from which a misrepresentati<strong>on</strong> could be inferred or why her use of <strong>the</strong> s<strong>on</strong>g was aself-evident fair use. Accordingly, Lenz’s claim was dismissed with leave to amend. 2043Lenz <strong>the</strong>n amended her complaint, alleging that <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs had issued <strong>the</strong> DMCAtakedown notice <strong>on</strong>ly to appease <strong>the</strong> musician known as “Prince,” <strong>the</strong> author of <strong>the</strong> s<strong>on</strong>g “Let’sGo Crazy.” 2044 Specifically, Lenz alleged that Universal issued its DMCA notice to YouTube at2039 Id. at *1-3.2040 Id. at *30-31.2041 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44549 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 8, 2008) (Order Granting Defendants’ Moti<strong>on</strong> to Dismiss withLeave to Amend) (not for citati<strong>on</strong>).2042 Id. at *1-3.2043 Id. at *8-9.2044 Lenz v. Universal Music Corp., 572 F. Supp. 2d 1150, 1152 (N.D. Cal. 2008).- 442 -

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