The First Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Orgill, Inc. in this case alleging copyright infringement claims, holding that a copyright licensee given the unrestricted right to grant sublicenses may do so without using express language.

Orgill markets and sells Sylvania lightbulbs. At issue was Orgill’s use of Photographic Illustrators Corporation (PIC) photos of Sylvania lightbulbs in Orgill’s electronic and paper catalogs. PIC and Sylvania had negotiated a license setting forth the scope of Sylvania’s permission to use PIC’s photographs of Sylvania lightbulbs, but Sylvania did not tell Orgill that Orgill needed to abide by an attribution restriction in Sylvania’s license. PIC sued Orgill and other Sylvania dealers and distributors claiming copyright infringement. The district court determined that Orgill had a sublicense from Sylvania to use the photos and rejected PIC’s argument that sublicensee of copyrights are ineffective absent language expressly granting permission to use the copyrighted work. The First Circuit affirmed, holding (1) where a licensor grants to a licensee the unrestricted right to sublicense and permit others to use a copyrighted work, a sublicense may be implied by the conduct of the sublicensor and sublicensee; and (2) a reasonable jury could have found that Sylvania granted an implied sublicense to Orgill. View “Photographic Illustrators Corp. v. Orgill, Inc.” on Justia Law