Behind the curtain – “Jersey Boys” doesn’t violate copyright on autobiography

Description

Abstract: The long-running Broadway musical “Jersey Boys” chronicles the history of the band known as the Four Seasons — and spawned copyright litigation that has run nearly as long as the play itself. This article discusses the latest ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which found that because facts can’t form the basis for a copyright claim, and all of the alleged similarities were based on elements that were treated as fact in the manuscript, the plaintiff’s manuscript was unprotected. Corbello v. Valli, No. 17-1637 (9th Cir. Sept. 8, 2020).