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COPYRIGHT, CIVIL, CLOSED

U.S. District Court Eastern District of California - Live System (Sacramento) CIVIL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 2:10-cv-02784-MCE -KJN

Masterfile Corporation v. Johnson Goup Staffing Company, Inc. et al Assigned to: Judge Morrison C. England, Jr Referred to: Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman Demand: $1,000,000 Cause: 28:1441 Petition for Removal Date Filed 10/14/2010 # Docket Text

Date Filed: 10/13/2010 Date Terminated: 03/07/2011 Jury Demand: None Nature of Suit: 820 Copyright Jurisdiction: Federal Question

1 COMPLAINT for Damages, Profits, Injunctive and Other Equitable Relief for Federal Copyright Infringement and Removal of Copyright Management Information against Christopher A Johnson, The Johnson Goup Staffing Company, Inc. by Masterfile Corporation. Attorney Weinberg, Steven Marc added. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Notice of Party with Financial Interest, # 3 Summons in a Civil Action) (Weinberg, Steven) (Entered: 10/14/2010) RECEIPT number #CAE200030306 $350.00 fbo Masterfile Corporation by Alex Martinez Jr on 10/14/2010. (Owen, K) (Entered: 10/14/2010) 3 SUMMONS ISSUED as to *Christopher A Johnson, The Johnson Goup Staffing Company, Inc.* with answer to complaint due within *21* days. Attorney *Steven Marc Weinberg* *Cowan, Debaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP* *30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411* *Malibu, CA 90265*. (Owen, K) (Entered: 10/14/2010) 4 COPYRIGHT NEW CASE DOCUMENTS ISSUED as to Copyright #1:* VA 1-220-538* Copyright #2:* VA 1-262-069 * Copyright #3:* VA 1-301-526 * Copyright #4:* VA 1-303-399 * Copyright #5:* VA 1-301-886* (Attachments: # 1 Consent Form, # 2 Copyright Report, # 3 VDRP Form) (Owen, K) (Entered: 10/14/2010) 5 NOTICE of VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL by Masterfile Corporation. (Weinberg, Steven) (Entered: 03/04/2011) 6 CLERK'S NOTICE of VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL per 5 Notice and Rule 41(a(1). CASE CLOSED (Benson, A.) (Entered: 03/07/2011)

10/14/2010 10/14/2010

10/14/2010

03/04/2011 03/07/2011

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1 COWAN, DEBAETS, ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP 2 30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411
Malibu, California 90265 Fax: (310) 457-9555

STEVEN M. WEINBERG (SBN 235581)

3 Tel: (310) 457-6100 4 Email: SMWeinberg@cdas.com 5 Attorneys for Plaintiff 6 Masterfile Corporation 7 8
COWAN DEBAETS ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

9 10
30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411 Malibu, California 90265

11 12
MASTERFILE CORPORATION, Case No. COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES, PROFITS, INJUNCTIVE AND OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF FOR FEDERAL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND REMOVAL OF COPYRIGHT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

13 14 15
v. Plaintiff,

16 THE JOHNSON GROUP STAFFING 17 JOHNSON 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

COMPANY, INC., and CHRISTOPHER A.

Defendants.

Plaintiff Masterfile Corporation (Masterfile), by its attorneys Cowan, DeBaets,

25 Abrahams, & Sheppard LLP, as and for its Complaint against defendants The Johnson Group 26 Staffing Company, Inc. and Christopher Johnson (Defendants), alleges as follows: 27 28
1 COMPLAINT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

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1 2 3 4
1. This is an action for copyright infringement arising out of Defendants INTRODUCTION

5 unauthorized reproduction and use of original copyright protected photographs owned and 6 registered by Plaintiff Masterfile. Masterfile seeks injunctive and monetary relief for copyright 7 infringement under the provisions of the Copyright Act of the United States, as amended, 17 8 U.S.C. 101 et seq. and for and violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C.
COWAN DEBAETS ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP

9 1201 et. seq. 10

30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411 Malibu, California 90265

11 12
2.

PARTIES Plaintiff is a well known stock photography agency with offices at 3 Concorde

13 Gate, Fourth Floor, Toronto, Canada. Plaintiff is in the business of licensing reproduction rights 14 in photographs to users for a fee. 15
3. Upon information and belief, Defendant The Johnson Group Staffing Company,

16 Inc. (Defendant Johnson Group) is a California corporation engaged in the business of 17 providing staffing services. Upon information and belief Defendant Johnson Group is based in 18 Elk Grove, California. 19
4. Upon information and belief, Defendant Christopher A. Johnson is a California

20 resident and is the Chief Executive Officer of Defendant The Johnson Group Staffing Company, 21 Inc., and at all relevant times directed and controlled the activities of Defendant Johnson Group 22 complained of herein. 23 24 25
5. JURISDICTION AND VENUE This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 17 U.S.C.

26 501(b) and 28 U.S.C. 1331 and 1338(a). 27 28

2 COMPLAINT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

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6.

This Court has Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendant because Defendant

2 maintains its principal place of business in the State of California and in this district and does 3 and transacts business in this judicial district. 4 5 6 7
8. FACTS In or about April 14, 2010, Plaintiff discovered that Defendant was using seven 7. Venue is proper within this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391 and 1400.

8 (7) copyrighted photographs owned by Plaintiff (the Infringed Images) on Defendant Johnson
COWAN DEBAETS ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP

9 Groups website www.johnsongroupinc.com (the Website). 10

30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411 Malibu, California 90265

9.

Plaintiff has complied in all respects with Copyright Act of the United States of

11 America and secured the exclusive right and privilege in and to the copyright in the Infringed 12 Images by registering its claim of copyright in the Infringed Images and receiving certificates of 13 registration from the Copyright Office under the following registration numbers: 14 15 Plaintiff Image 16 Identification Number 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
700-00188166 700-00280182 700-00364360 700-00478544 700-00524099 700-00592490 700-00651204 VA 1-220-538 VA 1-262-069 VA 1-301-526 VA 1-303-399 VA 1-301-886 VA 1-326-965 VA 1-344-847 October 18, 2003 April 30, 2004 November 23, 2004 March 15, 2005 May 11, 2005 September 19, 2005 March 16, 2006 Copyright Registration Number Registration Effective Date

A copy of the certificates of registration for these Infringed Images (without the

25 Continuation Sheets), which were registered as individual images within compilations, are 26 attached hereto as Exhibit A. 27 28
3 COMPLAINT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

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10.

Without Plaintiffs knowledge or consent, Defendants reproduced each of these

2 Infringed Images and displayed these unauthorized copies on the Website. Defendants are not, 3 and have never been, licensed or otherwise authorized to use the infringed Images. 4
11. Plaintiff notified Defendant that Defendants unauthorized use of the Infringing

5 Images constitutes copyright infringement and provided Defendant with an opportunity to rectify 6 its infringing conduct, but Defendant has refused to so rectify its conduct. 7 8
COWAN DEBAETS ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP

12.

Defendants conduct as aforesaid was willful.

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30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411 Malibu, California 90265

COUNT ONE (Copyright Infringement Under 17 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) 13. Plaintiff incorporates by reference each and every allegation contained in

11

12 paragraphs 1 through 12 above. 13

14. Defendants actions as described above constitute infringement of Plaintiffs

14 exclusive rights under its registered copyrights in violation of 17 U.S.C. 106 and 501. 15
15. Plaintiff is entitled to recover damages, which include its actual losses and any

16 and all profits Defendant has made as a result of its infringing conduct. 17 U.S.C. 504. 17
16. Plaintiff is entitled to recover actual damages in no less than the amount of

18 $46,710.00 or in lieu thereof, at Plaintiffs election, statutory damages in no less than the amount 19 of $ 1,050,000.00, plus attorneys fees and costs. 20 21 22 23 24
17. COUNT TWO (Intentional Removal of Copyright Management Information Under 17 U.S.C. 1202(b)) Plaintiff incorporates by reference each and every allegation contained in

25 paragraphs 1 through 16 above. 26

18. Each of the Infringed Images copied contained embedded copyright management

27 information protected under 17 U.S.C. 1202(b). 28

4 COMPLAINT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

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19.

Defendants intentionally removed the copyright management information with the

2 intent to induce, enable, facilitate, or conceal an infringement of Plaintiffs rights under the 3 Copyright Act. 4 5
20. 21. Defendants conduct as aforesaid is a violation of 17 U.S.C. 1202(b). By reason of said violation, Plaintiff is entitled to recover statutory damages

6 under 17 U.S.C. 1203(c) in the maximum amount of $2500 for each of the seven (7) 7 circumventions, for a total of $17,500.00, plus costs and attorneys fees. 8
COWAN DEBAETS ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP

9 10
30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411 Malibu, California 90265

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for the following relief against Defendants: A. A judgment from this Court that Defendants (1) infringed Plaintiffs exclusive

11 rights in the Infringed Images, and that this infringement was willful, and (2) wrongfully 12 removed Plaintiffs copyright management information embedded in the Infringed Images, and 13 that such removal was willful. 14
B. Permanent injunctive relief in the form of an order or orders requiring that

15 Defendants, and their respective officers, directors, principals, representatives, agents, servants, 16 employees, successors and assigns, and all persons acting in concert or participation with each or 17 any of them, or for them, be preliminarily and permanently enjoined and restrained from: 18
1. copying, reproducing or making any unauthorized use of the Infringed

19 Images or any derivative thereof, in any form; and from 20

2. importing, manufacturing, producing, distributing, circulating, selling,

21 offering for sale, advertising, promoting or displaying any simulation, reproduction, counterfeit, 22 or copy of any of the Infringed Images or any derivative thereof, or causing and/or participating 23 in such importation, manufacturing, producing, distributing, circulating, selling, offering for sale, 24 advertising, promoting or displaying any such items; and from 25
3. removing any copyright management information from any other of

26 Plaintiffs images. 27 28
5 COMPLAINT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

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C.

Preliminary and permanent injunctive relief in the form of an order or orders

2 requiring that Defendants turn over for destruction all unauthorized copies of the Infringed 3 Images and all derivatives thereof (including without limitation the Infringed Images) and any 4 item or thing displaying such copies, electronic and physical, in its possession, custody or 5 control; 6
D. An award for copyright infringement of actual damages in no less than the

7 amount of $46,710.00 or in lieu thereof, at Plaintiffs election, statutory damages in no less than 8 the amount of $ 1,050,000.00, plus attorneys fees and costs;
COWAN DEBAETS ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP

E.

An award of statutory damages for removal of copyright management information

10 in the maximum amount of $2500.00 for each of the seven (7) intentional removals, for a total of
30765 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 411 Malibu, California 90265

11 $17,500.00, plus costs and attorneys fees; and 12

F. Such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.

13 Dated: October 13, 2010 Malibu, California 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

6 COMPLAINT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT EXHIBIT A TO COMPLAINT Attorneys for Plaintiff MASTERFILE CORPORATION By: ______________________________ Steven M. Weinberg COWAN, DEBAETS, ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP

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