Warner Bros. Pictures v. Columbia Broadcasting System

216 F.2d 945 WARNER BROS. PICTURES, Inc., a Corporation, and Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a Corporation, Appellants, v. COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM, Inc., a Corporation; William Spier; The Wildroot Company, Inc., a Corporation; Regis Radio Corporation, William Robert Tallman, Giles B. Doud, Joe Eisinger, Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc., and Dashiell Hammett, Appellees. No. 13457. United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit. November 9, 1954. Freston & Files, Ralph E. Lewis, Gordon L. Files, Los Angeles, Cal., for appellants. Zissu & Marcus, Leonard Zissu, Abraham Marcus, New York City, Laurence Beilenson, William Berger, Beverly Hills, Cal., for appellee Hammett. Crider, Runkle & Tilson, Los Angeles, Cal., for appellee Columbia Broadcasting Co. Before STEPHENS and FEE, Circuit Judges, and CLARK, District Judge. STEPHENS, Circuit Judge. 1 Dashiell Hammett composed a mystery-detective story entitled "The Maltese Falcon" which was published serially, and each installment was copyrighted by the publisher. Subsequently, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., entered into a contract with the author to publish the work in book form, Knopf published the book and, in accord with the…