In Re Chin-Liang Chan
Atlantic Recording Corp. v. Chin-Liang Chan (In Re Chin-Liang Chan)
Opinion
Opinion
Tchaikovsky, J.
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION
Plaintiffs Atlantic Recording Corporation et al. (“Plaintiffs”) have a judgment against Defendant Chin-Liang Chan (the “Debtor”) for willful infringement of their copyrights (the “Judgment”). In this adversary proceeding, they seek to except the judgment debt (the “Judgment Debt”) from the Debtor’s chapter 7 discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523 (a)(6). Plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment on this claim. For the reasons stated below, the motion will be granted.
BACKGROUND
At all times relevant to the Plaintiffs’ claim, the Debtor was the Chief Executive Officer of Media Group, Inc. (“Media Group”), a California corporation formerly headquartered in Fremont, California. Media Group was engaged in the business of compact disc (“CD”) replication and services related to such replication. Plaintiffs are the owners of copyrights to various sound recordings.
On or about June 7, 2000, Plaintiffs filed an action against Media Group, Chan, and others in federal district court, alleging that the defendants had willfully infringed Plaintiffs’ copyrights in 1,514 sound recordings (the “Copyright Infringement Action”). On August 14, 2001, the district court…