Sony Music Ent. - GoldieBlox v. Beastie Boys lyrics

Plaintiff GoldieBlox, Inc. (“GoldieBlox” or “Plaintiff”) brings this action for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief against the Defendants Island Def Jam Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.; Brooklyn Dust Music; the Beastie Boys; Sony/ATV Music PublishingGroup LLC; Universal Music Publishing, Inc.; Rick Rubin; and Adam Horovitz (collectively,“Defendants”). NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT 1. This is a civil action for declaratory and injunctive relief to vindicate the rights of toy company GoldieBlox in connection with a parody video set to the tune of the Beastie Boys' highly s**ist song “Girls.” GoldieBlox is a toy company founded upon the principle of breaking down gender stereotypes, by offering engineering and construction toys specifically targeted to girls. In a series of promotional videos, GoldieBlox has presented strong and smart depictions of girls pursuing so-called “nontraditional” activities. The latest video by GoldieBlox depicts three diverse girls rejecting stereotypical play as princesses with tiaras, and instead creating a highly creative and complex Rube Goldberg mechanism throughout multiple rooms and the yard of one of their homes (the “GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video”). 2. In the lyrics of the Beastie Boys' song entitled Girls, girls are limited (at best) to household chores, and are presented as useful only to the extent they fulfill the wishes of the male subjects. The GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video takes direct aim at the song both visually and with a revised set of lyrics celebrating the many capabilities of girls. Set to the tune of Girls but with a new recording of the music and new lyrics, girls are heard singing an anthem celebrating their broad set of capabilities—exactly the opposite of the message of the original. They are also shown engaging in activities far beyond what the Beastie Boys song would permit. GoldieBlox created its parody video specifically to comment on the Beastie Boys song, and to further the company's goal to break down gender stereotypes and to encourage young girls to engage inactivities that challenge their intellect, particularly in the fields of science, technology,engineering and math. The GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video has gone viral on the Internet, and has been recognized by the press and the public as a parody and criticism of the original song. 3. In response to this criticism, the Beastie Boys have now threatened GoldieBlox with copyright infringement. Lawyers for the Beastie Boys claim that the GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video is a copyright infringement, is not a fair use, and that GoldieBlox's unauthorized use of the Beastie Boys intellectual property is a “big problem” that has a “very significant impact.” 4. GoldieBlox therefore brings this declaratory relief action to clarify the rights of the parties, and to refute the baseless a**ertion of copyright infringement finally and definitively.Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment holding that its parody video does not infringe any copyrights held by Defendants and is protected by the Fair Use Doctrine. Plaintiff also seeks an injunction enjoining Defendants from any efforts to enforce any copyright in Girls against the GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video, including through the use of DMCA takedown notices or otherwise. THE PARTIES 5. Plaintiff GoldieBlox is a Delaware Corporation with its headquarters and principal place of business in Oakland, California. 6. Upon information and belief, Defendant Island Def Jam Music Group (“Def Jam”)is a division of UMG Recordings, Inc., a Delaware Corporation with its corporate headquarters and principal place of business in Santa Monica, California. Upon information and belief,Defendant Island Def Jam Music Group, Inc. is the successor in interest to Def Jam Music, Inc.,which is listed as a copyright claimant in connection with copyright registration number PA0000344518 for the song Girls. 7. Upon information and belief, Defendant Brooklyn Dust Music (“Brooklyn Dust”)is a business name under which the Beastie Boys have done and currently do business, of unknown entity status. Defendant Brooklyn Dust Music is listed as a copyright claimant in connection with copyright registration number PA 0000344518 for the song Girls. 8. Upon information and belief, Defendant Beastie Boys (“Beastie Boys”) is a hiphop band, of unknown entity status. Upon information and belief, Defendant Beastie Boys a**erts an ownership interest in a copyright in the song Girls and is listed as the performer in connection with copyright registration number PA 0000344518 for the song Girls. 9. Upon information and belief, Defendant Sony/ATV Music Publishing Group LLC(“Sony Music”) is a Delaware Limited Liability Company. Upon information and belief, SonyMusic is licensed to do business in, has an agent for service of process in, and has an office in LosAngeles, California. Upon information and belief, Sony Music a**erts an ownership interest in a copyright for the song Girls. 10. Upon information and belief, Defendant Universal Music Publishing, Inc.(“Universal Music”) is a California Corporation with a principal place of business in SantaMonica, California. Upon information and belief, Universal Music a**erts an ownership interest in a copyright for the song Girls. 11. Upon information and belief Defendant Rick Rubin (“Rubin”) is an individual residing in Malibu, California. Upon information and belief, Defendant Rubin is listed as an author in connection with copyright registration number PA 0000344518 for the song Girls. 12. Upon information and belief Defendant Adam Horovitz (“Horovitz”) is an individual residing in New York, New York. Upon information and belief, Defendant Horovitz is listed as an author in connection with copyright registration number PA 0000344518 for the song Girls. JURISDICTION AND VENUE 13. This is an action for declaratory judgment arising under the United StatesCopyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq. (the “Copyright Act”) and 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201 and2202 (the “Declaratory Judgment Act”). Thus, this court has original jurisdiction over the subject matter of this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338. 14. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants because they reside in and/or are doing business in the State of California, and have purposefully availed themselves of the privilege of conducting activities in this State and the Northern District. Defendants have sold tens of thousands of copies of Girls, the song that Plaintiff allegedly infringes, in this State. Further, Defendants have intentionally engaged in acts targeted at the Northern District. Plaintiff resides in this District and created and distributed the allegedly infringing work by, *inter alia*, uploading the allegedly infringing work to YouTube in this District. Defendants' false a**ertions of infringement of alleged copyrights were and are directed at Plaintiff in this District. 15. Venue is proper in the Northern District of California under 28 U.S.C. §1391(b)(2) because a substantial part of the events giving rise to Plaintiff's claims has occurredand will continue to occur in the Northern District of California. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS 16. Plaintiff GoldieBlox is a toy company founded by Stanford-educated product designer Debbie Sterling, that set out to inspire the next generation of female engineers by creating engineering and construction books and toys specifically targeted to girls. Plaintiff's mission is nothing less than to help close the gender gap in the fields of science, technology,engineering and math by encouraging young girls to build and invent amazing things. 17. To introduce its toys to the public, GoldieBlox has created a set of promotional videos. In its series of promotional videos, GoldieBlox has presented strong and smart depictions of girls pursuing so-called “nontraditional” activities. Each video has been accompanied by a musical anthem. The latest video by GoldieBlox, the GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video, depicts three diverse girls rejecting stereotypical play as princesses with tiaras, and instead creating a highly creative and complex Rube Goldberg mechanism throughout multiple rooms and the yard of one of their homes. The musical anthem is a new version of the Beastie Boys' song Girls. 18. In the lyrics of the Beastie Boys' original song, girls are limited (at best) to household chores, and are presented as useful only to the extent they fulfill the wishes of the male singers. The girls are objects. The GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video takes direct aim at the song both visually and with a revised set of lyrics celebrating the many capabilities of girls. Set to the tune of Girls by the Beastie Boys but with a new recording of the music and new lyrics, girls are heard singing an anthem celebrating their broad set of capabilities—exactly the opposite of the message of the original. GoldieBlox Girls are the subjects; they are the actors taking charge of their environment. A chart with a side-by-side comparison of the lyrics of the original, and the lyrics of the GoldieBlox parody video, is set forth below. 19. Comparison Chart of Lyrics Beastie Boy's Girls lyrics GoldieBlox's Girls lyrics 20. GoldieBlox created its parody video with specific goals to make fun of the BeastieBoys song, and to further the company's goal to break down gender stereotypes and to encourage young girls to engage in activities that challenge their intellect, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. The GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video has gone viral on the Internet, and has been recognized by the press and the public as a parody and criticism of the original song. 21. In response, the Beastie Boys and their label have lashed out and accused GoldieBlox of copyright infringement. There exists a justiciable controversy regarding Plaintiff's right to make a fair use of the Girls song in its parody video free of any allegation by Defendants' that such conduct constitutes an infringement of any copyright allegedly owned by Defendants FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF(Declaratory Judgment – Non-Infringement of Copyright) 22. Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates each and every foregoing paragraph as though fully set forth herein. 23. An actual justiciable controversy exists as to whether the GoldieBlox Girls ParodyVideo infringes any copyright owned by the Defendants 24. Plaintiff is entitled to declaratory judgment that the GoldieBlox Girls ParodyVideo is not infringing, has not infringed, and is not liable for infringing any valid copyright owned by Defendants relating to the song Girls. SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF(Declaratory Judgment – Fair Use) 25. Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates each and every foregoing paragraph as though fully set forth herein. 26. An actual controversy exists as to whether Plaintiff's use of any materials to which the Defendants hold copyrights is protected by the Fair Use Doctrine. 27. Plaintiff is entitled to a declaratory judgment that its use of the song Girls in the GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video is protected by the Fair Use Doctrine. PRAYER FOR RELIEF WHEREFORE Plaintiff seeks judgment awarding it the following relief: a) An order declaring that Plaintiff does not infringe any valid copyright owned by Defendants relating to the song Girls; b) An order declaring that any alleged use by Plaintiff of the song Girls in its parody video is privileged under, and protected by, the Fair Use Doctrine; c) An order enjoining Defendants from a**erting any alleged copyrights against Plaintiff in connection with the GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video; d) An order awarding attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses incurred in connection with this action to Plaintiff; e) An order awarding such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper. JURY DEMAND Plaintiff demands a trial by jury as to all issues so triable