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KING v. INNOVATION BOOKS Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: Author Stephen King sued to stop a film from using his name. The court allowed a “based upon” credit because the film used the story’s core, but banned a “possessory credit” (“Stephen King’s…”) as literally false, since he had no creative involvement.
Legal Significance: Establishes distinct Lanham Act standards for “possessory” and “based upon” credits. A possessory credit is literally false if the author lacked creative control, while a “based upon” credit is permissible if the film incorporates the literary work’s qualitative and quantitative core.
KING v. INNOVATION BOOKS Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Author Stephen King assigned the film rights to his short story, “The Lawnmower Man.” The rights were eventually acquired by defendant Allied Vision, which produced a film, and licensed North American distribution to defendant New Line Cinema. The film’s plot diverged substantially from King’s ten-page story but incorporated its central scene: a man with psychokinetic powers uses a lawnmower to murder a character named Harold Parkette. The defendants marketed the film using two forms of attribution: a possessory credit (“Stephen King’s The Lawnmower Man”) and a “based upon” credit. King had no involvement in the screenplay or production and did not approve of the final film. He objected to the credits, particularly the possessory one, arguing they constituted a false designation of origin under the Lanham Act. The district court granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting the use of both credits. The defendants appealed, arguing the credits were accurate and that King’s claim was barred by laches.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Under the Lanham Act, may a film producer use a possessory credit (“Author’s Film”) and a “based upon” credit when the author had no creative involvement in the film, which incorporates the qualitative core but not the full plot of the author’s short story?
The court affirmed the injunction against the possessory credit but reversed the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Under the Lanham Act, may a film producer use a possessory credit (“Author’s Film”) and a “based upon” credit when the author had no creative involvement in the film, which incorporates the qualitative core but not the full plot of the author’s short story?
Conclusion
This case provides a key precedent for Lanham Act claims in the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit es
Legal Rule
Under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, a possessory credit that falsely Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur
Legal Analysis
The court analyzed the two credits separately under Section 43(a) of the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor inci
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A possessory credit (e.g., “Stephen King’s…”) is literally false under the