Sega Enterprises Ltd. v. Maphia, C 93-04262 CW.
| Decision Date | 18 December 1996 |
| Docket Number | No. C 93-04262 CW.,C 93-04262 CW. |
| Citation | 948 F.Supp. 923 |
| Court | U.S. District Court — Northern District of California |
| Parties | SEGA ENTERPRISES LTD; Sega of America, Inc, Plaintiffs, v. MAPHIA, a business of unknown structure; PARSAC, a business of unknown structure; PSYCHOSIS, a business of unknown structure; Chad Scherman aka Chad Sherman aka "Brujjo Digital," and Does 2-6 aka "OPERATOR," "FIREHEAD," "LION," "HARD CORE," "CANDYMAN," all individually and d/b/a MAPHIA and PARSAC; Howard Silberg by his mother and next friend Ilene Silberg, aka "CAFFEINE," and Does 14-18 aka "APACHE," "MAELSTROM," "GAZZER," "PARANOID/CHRYSEIS," "DOOM" all individually and d/b/a PSYCHOSIS and PARSAC; Does 7-12; Does 19-25, Defendants. |
Neil A. Smith, Limbach & Limbach L.L.P., San Francisco, CA, for Sega Enterprises Ltd. and Sega of America, Inc.
Jeffrey B. Neustadt, San Francisco, CA, for Chad Scherman aka Chad Sherman aka Brujjo Digital.
ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY ADJUDICATION OF LIABILITY AND A PERMANENT INJUNCTION WITH RESPECT TO DEFENDANT SHERMAN
Plaintiffs Sega Enterprises, Ltd. and Sega of America, Inc., (collectively "Sega") filed this action for copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq., federal trademark infringement under 15 U.S.C. §§ 1051 et seq., federal unfair competition for false designation of origin under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a), California trade name infringement under California Business and Professions Code §§ 14401 et seq. and California unfair competition under California Business and Professions Code §§ 14210, 17200-17203 against Defendant Chad Sherman and several other individuals operating on-line bulletin boards, and MAPHIA and other bulletin boards as businesses of unknown structure.1
This Court has jurisdiction over the causes of action arising under federal law pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1338(a), and has jurisdiction over the state causes of action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1338(b).
Venue is proper in the federal district court where certain Defendants reside and where the alleged acts of trademark and copyright infringement occurred. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1391(b) and (c). Venue in the instant suit is proper in the Northern District of California.
After careful consideration of the parties' papers and the record as a whole, and good cause appearing, the Court GRANTS summary judgment regarding Sherman's liability for copyright infringement, federal trademark infringement, federal unfair competition for false designation of origin, California trade name infringement and California unfair competition. The Court also GRANTS Sega's request for a permanent injunction prohibiting further copying of SEGA games by way of the MAPHIA electronic bulletin board, or any bulletin board run by Sherman.
Sega2 is a major manufacturer and distributor of computer video game systems and computer video game programs which are sold under the SEGA logo, its registered trademark. (Federal Registration No. 1,566,116, issued November 14, 1989). As part of its development process, Sega takes care to ensure the quality and reliability of the video game programs and products sold under SEGA trademarks.
Sega also owns the copyright for the game programs that Sega develops, and has federal copyright registrations for several video games, including Jurassic Park and Sonic Spinball.
The Sega game system consists of two components, the base unit game console, and software stored on video game cartridges which are inserted into the base unit. The base unit contains a microcomputer which, when connected to a cartridge and a television, permits an individual to play a video game stored on the inserted cartridge. The cartridge format is not susceptible to breakdown or erasure. Defective Sega cartridges are replaced by Sega.
Sega's game system is designed to permit the user only to play video game programs contained in Sega cartridges. The system does not permit the copying of video game programs. Sega does not authorize the copying or distribution of its video game programs on other storage media such as floppy disks or hard disks.
Sega takes steps to keep its methods of developing video game programs, its works-in-progress, and the codes of its released products confidential, and the employees and contractors who work with Sega sign non-disclosure agreements regarding their work. Video game programs which are in development are referred to as "pre-release" programs. During the development period, pre-release software may be stored on cartridges, floppy disks or hard disks for internal use by Sega. Upon completion of the program, however, the program is distributed only on cartridges.
Sherman is the system operator for MAPHIA, an electronic bulletin board. An electronic bulletin board ("BBS") consists of electronic storage media, such as computer memories or hard disks, which are connected to telephone lines by modem devices, and are controlled by a computer. Users of BBSs can transfer information from their own computers to the storage media on the BBS by a process known as "uploading." Users can also retrieve information from the BBS to their own computer memories by a process known as "downloading." Video game programs, such as Sega's video game programs, are among the kinds of information that can be transferred in these ways.
The software and computer hardware Sherman used to run MAPHIA is owned by him and located at his residence in San Francisco, California. The MAPHIA bulletin board is open to the public and has approximately 400 users who routinely download and upload files from and to the MAPHIA BBS. The users of this BBS are identified by a handle and a password. A handle is a pseudonym by which individuals are known to other users of the system. The password is not displayed to other users and is known only to the system operator and the authorized user.
The evidence shows that "Brujjo Digital" is the alias used by Sherman as the system operator of the MAPHIA BBS, and in communicating with others. For example, Sherman admitted that he was the system operator of the MAPHIA BBS, and the MAPHIA BBS indicates that Brujjo Digital is its operator.
This action was initiated after Sega allegedly received an anonymous tip that Sherman was an operating computer BBS which contained and distributed pirated and unauthorized versions of Sega's video game software. Sega collected evidence of these activities by having a Sega employee gain access to the MAPHIA BBS under a pseudonym, using information supplied by an authorized user who was an informant.
Pursuant to the ex parte Temporary Restraining Order and Seizure Order issued by Judge Fern M. Smith of this Court on December 9, 1993, a search of Sherman's premises was conducted. Pursuant to the Order, Sherman's computer and memory devices were seized, the memory was copied, and the computers and other seized hardware were returned to Sherman, with the Sega games deleted.
Data from the MAPHIA BBS indicates that it is linked to another BBS called PSYCHOSIS, whose system operator is called Caffeine. This data also indicates that Sherman and the MAPHIA BBS are part of or linked to a network of BBSs, called PARSAC (also spelled "PARSEC" by Sherman), for business purposes. A newsletter displayed on the MAPHIA BBS refers to MAPHIA as the "WorldHeadquarters" for a group called "PARSEC" of which PSYCHOSIS is the "USHQ." Sherman is the "acting world leader" of PARSAC. A message file located on Sherman's computer, authored by Brujjo Digital, states:
NOTES WORTHY OF MENTION:
... You probably noticed that I am taking over the World Leader Position and that's because I felt like I pulled alot of this together with ALOT ALOT of help from Caffeine ...
I'm setting up a VMB system at my house for PARSEC ONLY! ... the kewl thing about it is that the VMB can page myself and Caffeine when an original game is ready for release or anything important comes up.
As you know we have PARSEC TRADING CO. as our business that sells everything from Copiers to ... I'll have some Advertisements ready by the time I install Caffeine's REXX DOOR to handle Customer's Orders online at the !MAPHIA! like the system Caffeine runs on Psychosis ...
... we are selling ... Super Magic Drives ... but me and Caffeine will handle all the business side of that ...
At the time it was seized, the MAPHIA BBS contained unauthorized copies of 12 Sega games developed by Sega, ten Sega-licensed games, and six Sega pre-release or "beta" version games, developed in-house by Sega. The copies of Sega's programs uploaded to and downloaded from the MAPHIA BBS are substantially similar to Sega's video game programs as stored in the cartridges sold by Sega. Prior to the seizure, each of the Sega-developed and beta version games on the MAPHIA BBS was available for downloading by MAPHIA users who access the board through their own computers by modem telephone connections. Sega had U.S. copyright registration in at least two of the games found on the MAPHIA BBS, namely Jurassic Park and Sonic Spinball.
Sega games are generally listed on the MAPHIA BBS in a file area entitled "MAPHIA! The games are identified by a "file descriptor" which includes the title of the game, the manufacturer, and either the word "SEGA" or "Sega," the same word that is in the SEGA registered trademark. Additionally, the SEGA trademark appears on the screen whenever a Sega game which has been downloaded from the MAPHIA BBS is subsequently played. Sherman acknowledged that the SEGA trademark is displayed when the downloaded games are played.
The directory of video game programs available on MAPHIA also contains numerous references to video game programs containing "patches" or "fixes." These...
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
Perfect 10, Inc. v. Ccbill, LLC
...(citing Religious Tech. Ctr. v. Netcom On-Line Communication Servs., Inc., 907 F.Supp. 1361 (N.D.Cal.1995); Sega Enters., Ltd. v. MAPHIA, 948 F.Supp. 923, 931 (N.D.Cal.1996); Playboy Enters., Inc. v. Russ Hardenburgh, Inc., 982 F.Supp. 503 (N.D.Ohio)). Without evidence that Internet Key act......
-
Jackson v. Sturkie
...damages is available, but an award of $125,000 exceeds the applicable limit. See 17 USC § 504(c)(2) (1994); Sega Enterprises Ltd., v. MAPHIA, 948 F.Supp. 923, 940 (N.D.Cal.1996) (awarding statutory damages of $5,000 per work for infringement of video games); BMG Music v. Perez, 952 F.2d 318......
-
Perfect 10, Inc. v. Cybernet Ventures, Inc.
...to upload infringing products onto its service could not be held liable on a direct infringement theory. See Sega Enterprises, Ltd. v. MAPHIA, 948 F.Supp. 923, 931 (N.D.Cal.1996). This was so because the activity charged had no bearing on whether the BBS operator "directly caused" the copyi......
-
Costar Group Inc. v. Loopnet, Inc., CIV. A. DKC99-2983.
...but did not block access. See Fonovisa, 76 F.3d at 264. CoStar also draws comparisons between the current case and Sega Enters. LTD. v. MPHIA, 948 F.Supp. 923 (N.D.Cal.1996). In Sega, the operator of a BBS was found liable for contributory infringement of copyrighted video games when he kne......
-
E-law 4: Computer Information Systems Law and System Operator Liability
...the message for an additional eleven days. Id. at 1367-68. 530. Id. at 1368-69. 531. Id. See also Sega Enterprises, Ltd. v. MAPHIA, 948 F. Supp. 923 (N.D. Cal. 1996); Sega Enterprises, Ltd. v. Sabella, 1996 WL 780560, (N.D. Cal. 1996). 532. 982 F. Supp. 503, 514-15 (N.D. Ohio 1997). 533. Id......
-
Boss Battle: Twitch vs Proposed Amendments to the Knowledge Standard Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
...of material fact as to whether Netcom knew or should have known about the infringing activity); and Sega Enters., Ltd. v. MAPHIA, 948 F. Supp. 923, 933 (N.D. Cal. 1996) (holding the operator of a bulletin board liable for contributory infringement where he actively solicited users to upload......
-
Copyright Infringement Liability of Placeshifting Services in the United States and Japan
...Inc., 412 F. Supp. 2d 1106 (D. Nev. 2006) (holding cashing websites by Googlebot not direct infringement); Sega Enters. v. MAPHIA, 948 F. Supp. 923, 932 (N.D. Cal. 1996) (BBS operator case denying direct infringement). But see Playboy Enters. v. Webbworld, 968 F. Supp. 1171, 1175 (N.D. Tex.......
-
VIDEOGAME STREAMING AND EMULATORS - A SLIPPI SLOPE FOR FAIR USE?
...them, see supra Part IV A-D. (129) Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., 510 U.S. 569, 586 (1994). (130) See Sega Enters, v. MAPHIA, 948 F.Supp. 923, 934 (N.D. Cal. 1996) ("Because the Sega video games are for entertainment uses and involve fiction and fantasy, which are more creative than in......