CORBELLO v. DeVITO

Nos. 12-16733, 13-15826.

777 F.3d 1058 (2015)

Donna CORBELLO, Plaintiff Appellant, v. Thomas Gaetano DeVITO, Defendant, and Frankie Valli; Robert J. Gaudio; Marshall Brickman; Eric S. Elice; Des McAnuff; DSHT, Inc., FKA Dodger State Holding Theatricals, Inc.; Dodger Theatricals, Ltd.; JB Viva Vegas, LP; Michael S. David; Jersey Boys Broadway Limited Partnership; Jersey Boys Records Limited Partnership; Skunk, Inc.; Getting Home, Inc., Defendants. Donna Corbello, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Thomas Gaetano DeVito, Defendant, and Frankie Valli; Robert J. Gaudio; Marshall Brickman; Eric S. Elice; Des McAnuff; DSHT, Inc., fka Dodger State Holding Theatricals, Inc.; Dodger Theatricals, Ltd.; JB Viva Vegas, LP; Michael S. David; Jersey Boys Broadway Limited Partnership; Jersey Boys Records Limited Partnership; Skunk, Inc.; Getting Home, Inc., Defendants-Appellees.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Filed February 10, 2015.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Gregory H. Guillot , Gregory H. Guillot, P.C., Dallas, TX, argued the cause and, along with Lawrence Kasten and Robert H. McKirgan , Lewis and Roca, LLP, Phoenix, AZ, filed the briefs for the plaintiff-appellant.

Daniel M. Mayeda , Leopold, Petrich & Smith, P.C., Los Angeles, CA, argued the cause and, along with Samuel S. Lionel and Maximiliano D. Couvillier III , Lionel, Sawyers & Collins, filed the brief for the defendants-appellees.

Opinion by Judge O'SCANNLAIN; Concurrence by Judge SACK.


OPINION

We must decide whether a contractual grant of the exclusive right to use an individual's "biographies" to create a Broadway musical stage play also constitutes a transfer of a copyright ownership interest in that individual's unpublished autobiography.

I

A

In 1988, Rex Woodward...

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