Sweet Rosie O’Grady

(1943)   Tags: Fox

Jerome v. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

The complaint alleges two causes of action, the first for infringement of copyright and the second for unfair competition, based on the defendant’s use of the song “Sweet Rosie O’Grady” in a motion picture of the same title. The district judge carefully reviewed the evidence, made detailed findings of fact and concluded that the plaintiff, through her agents, authorized the use of her song in the motion picture for a fee of $5,000, and that the defendant’s refusal to pay this sum was not such as to justify a forfeiture of the license because the defendant was only holding the plaintiff to her agreement to deliver a license covering “world rights.”

Judgment: On settlement of the record on appeal the plaintiff moved for an order requiring the defendant to share the cost of printing the record on appeal as a condition of having its appeal heard on a joint record. We think there was no error in denying this motion. The defendant was required to print at its own expense the papers designated by it for its cross-appeal; what the plaintiff printed was necessary for her appeal.