Hal Roach Studios, Inc., a Delaware Corporation v. Richard Feiner and Company, Inc., a New York Corporation

Caution

896 F.2d 1542

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitFebruary 22, 199087-6146California8,566 words

Opinion

Reinhardt, J.

This case involves the worldwide television rights to a number of Laurel and Hardy silent films (“the silent subjects”). Appellee’s predecessor in interest, Hal Roach, Inc., and appellant Richard Feiner and Company, Inc. (“Feiner & Co.”) entered into a written agreement to license the television rights to certain of the films to Feiner & Co. for a ten year period with an option to renew the license agreement for a second ten year term. Feiner & Co. subsequently exercised the option.

In 1984 appellee Hal Roach Studios, Inc. (“Hal Roach Studios”) filed a complaint against Richard Feiner, individually, and Feiner & Co. seeking a declaration that the licensing agreement would expire on or about September 27, 1986, and that Hal Roach Studios had valid copyrights to the films. Feiner & Co. answered, asserting affirmative defenses, and counterclaimed. Feiner & Co. sought reformation of the contracts based on mutual mistake. The mutual mistake alleged was that the parties had intended the license agreement to continue in effect until the copyrights to the silent subjects had expired and those subjects had entered the public domain. At the time the parties entered into the licensing…

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Parties

HAL ROACH STUDIOS, INC., a Delaware Corporation-
Plaintiff
RICHARD FEINER AND COMPANY, INC., a New York Corporation-
Defendant

Judges

Pregerson
Reinhardt
Noonan

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