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Willis v. HBO

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

57 Fed. Appx. 902 (2003)

Facts

Patricia Willis (plaintiff) copyrighted an outline for a proposed television series, Schmoozers, about a money-driven talent agent. Home Box Office (HBO) (defendant) produced and aired a series called Arli$$, which revolved around an unscrupulous sports agent. Both characters had hapless male sidekicks and smart female assistants. However, there were significant differences, including the basic framing devices. Arli$$ used narrated readings from the main character’s autobiography, whereas Schmoozers would have had its assistant character directly address the audience. Willis brought a copyright-infringement action against HBO. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of HBO. Willis appealed. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)

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