Re: Update on Scientology copyright

Jon Putnam <jdp[_at_]crai.com> wrote:
>
> I think the Post may have misinterpreted the injunction. It states in
> pertinent part:
>
> The Court having granted plaintiff Religious Technology Center's
> ("RTC") Motion for Summary Judgment for Copyright Infringement against
> defendant Arnaldo Lerma and having entered its Memorandum Opinion on
> 0ctober 4, 1996, and for the reasons stated therein, hereby enters a
> final judgment in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant
> in the amount of $2,500.00.
>
> For the reasons stated in open court on January 3, 1997, no
> award of attorneys' fees and litigation expenses is made) however,
> plaintiff has the right to seek those other costs permitted under
> Fed. R. Civ, P. 54(d)(1).
>
> This decision simply made permanent the preliminary ruling.
>
> If I recall correctly, the Co$ sought attorney's fees in excess of
> $500,000. Lerma's attorney pointed out that this would have
> been (I believe) the largest or second-largest award of fees
> in a copyright case in U.S. history. His reply brief pointed out
> that the sense in which the plaintiff prevailed in this case was
> by no means unalloyed, and that the court had gone out of its way
> to award the minimum in statutory damages.

I think Jon has made my point here - that the actual damages awarded are pretty minor. Its the attorneys' costs that are the real damage award.

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Original portions Copyright 1997 Bruce E. Hayden,all rights reserved
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Bruce E. Hayden                      bhayden[_at_]acm.org               
Austin, Texas                        bhayden[_at_]copatlaw.com