U.S. v. AMERICAN SOC. OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS

Docket Nos. 09-0539-cv (L), 09-0542-cv (con), 09-0666-cv (xap), 09-0692-cv (xap), 09-1572-cv (xap).

627 F.3d 64 (2010)

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS and PUBLISHERS, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee, In the matter of Applications of RealNetworks, Inc., Yahoo! Inc., Applicants-Appellees-Cross-Appellants.

United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

Decided: September 28, 2010.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Catherine E. Stetson ( Joshua D. Hawley , Hogan & Hartson LLP, Washington, DC, Ira M. Feinberg , Chava Brandriss , Hogan & Hartson LLP, New York, NY, Christopher J. Glancy , I. Fred Koenigsberg , Stefan M. Mentzer , White & Case LLP, New York, NY, Joan M. McGivern , Richard H. Reimer , Christine A. Pepe , ASCAP, New York, NY, on the brief), Hogan & Hartson LLP, Washington, DC, for Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee.

Thomas P. Lane ( Michael S. Elkin , Robert C. Turner , on the brief), Winston & Strawn LLP, New York, NY, for Applicant-Appellee-Cross-Appellant Yahoo! Inc.

Kenneth L. Steinthal ( Harris Cohen , Greenberg Traurig LLP, San Francisco, CA, Jonathan Bloom , Gregory Silbert , Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, New York, NY, on the brief), Greenberg Traurig LLP, San Francisco, CA, for Applicants Appellee-Cross-Appellant RealNetworks, Inc.

Nicholas Bagley ( Tony West , Assistant Attorney General, Philip J. Weiser , Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Scott R. McIntosh , Attorney, Appellate Staff, Civil Division, Department of Justice, Catherine G. O'Sullivan , David Seidman , Attorneys, Appellate Section, Antitrust Division, Department of Justice, Washington, DC, on the brief), Attorney, Appellate Staff, Civil Division, Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for United States.

Michael E. Salzman ( Marvin L. Berenson , Joseph J. DiMona , John Coletta , Broadcast Music, Inc., New York, NY, on the brief), Hughes, Hubbard & Reed LLP, New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae Broadcast Music, Inc.

Keenan Popwell ( John C. Beiter , Zumwalt, Almon & Hayes PLLC, Nashville, TN, on the brief), SESAC, Inc., New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae SESAC, Inc.

David Leichtman ( Hillel I. Parness , Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP, New York, NY, W. Edward Bailey , Eleanor M. Lackman , Lovells LLP, New York, NY, David Uwemedimo, Confederation Internationale des Societes d'Auteurs et Compositeurs, Neuilly sur Seine, France, on the brief), Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP, New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae Confederation Internationale des Societes d'Auteurs et Compositeurs.

Jay Cohen ( Lynn B. Bayard , Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, NY, Jay Rosenthal , Kathryn E. Wagner , National Music Publishers' Association, Inc., New York, NY, on the brief), Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, NY, for Amici Curiae Association of Independent Music Publishers, Church Music Publishers Association, Music Publishers' Association of the United States, National Music Publishers' Association, Inc., and Production Music Association.

Charles Cummings ( Carl W. Hampe , Baker & McKenzie LLP, Washington, DC, Charles J. Sanders , Attorney at Law PC, Briarcliff Manor, NY, on the brief), Baker & McKenzie LLP, New York, NY, for Amici Curiae The Society of Composers and Lyricists, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc., Ad Hoc Coalition of Production Music Company Owners, The Game Audio Network Guild, and Songwriters Guild of America.

Al J. Daniel ( Toby M.J. Butterfield , Christopher J. Marino , Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, New York, NY, C. Paul Spurgeon , Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the brief), Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae The Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada.

Paul M. Smith ( Steven R. Englund , Carrie F. Apfel , on the brief) Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, DC, for Amici Curiae Digital Media Association, Entertainment Software Association, and Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.

John T. Mitchell , Interaction Law, Washington, DC, for Amici Curiae National Association of Recording Merchandisers, Inc., and Entertainment Merchants Association, Inc.

Susan Cleary , Independent Film and Television Alliance, Los Angeles, CA, for Amicus Curiae Independent Film and Television Alliance.

Bruce G. Joseph , Wiley Rein LLP, Washington, DC, for Amicus Curiae CTIA—The Wireless Association.

Before: JACOBS, Chief Judge, JOHN M. WALKER, JR., and LIVINGSTON, Circuit Judges.


JOHN M. WALKER, JR., Circuit Judge:

This case presents two distinct questions that arise from the transmittal of musical works over the Internet: First, whether a download of a digital file containing a musical work constitutes a public performance of that musical work; and, second, whether the district court, acting in its capacity as the rate court, was reasonable in its assessment of the blanket license fees of Yahoo! Inc. and RealNetworks, Inc. (collectively,...

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