Dumas v. Gommerman

865 F.2d 1093 57 USLW 2456 , 1989 Copr.L.Dec. P 26,371 , 9 U.S.P.Q.2d 1701 Jennifer DUMAS, an individual and successor-in-interest to Patrick Nagel, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Stefan GOMMERMAN, dba Eva & Steve Dorog Gallery; S & I Gommerman Publishing, Inc., Defendants-Appellants. No. 87-6542. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted Aug. 3, 1988. Decided Jan. 13, 1989. Jay S. Rothman and Leland (L.L.) Whitney, Encino, Cal., for defendants-appellants. Gary S. Phillips and Anthony Kornarens, Rosenberg, Nagler & Phillips, Beverly Hills, Cal., for plaintiff-appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Before FLETCHER, CANBY and O'SCANNLAIN, Circuit Judges. FLETCHER, Circuit Judge: 1 Defendants appeal the grant of a preliminary injunction restraining them from reproducing and marketing works of art in which plaintiffs claim copyrights. This copyright infringement case requires us to construe for the first time in this circuit the work for hire provisions of the 1976 Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. Sec. 101 et seq. I. FACTS 2 The parties dispute the ownership of copyrights in four works of art (the "ITT…