Architect Awarded Preliminary Injunction against Owner in Copyright Dispute

Ruling that the owner had exceeded the scope of its license to use copyrighted architectural plans, the 9th Circuit on January 11 filed an opinion entering a preliminary injunction in favor of the design firm prohibiting the owner’s illegal use. The case stems from a large residential development in Nevada. The opinion contains not only a useful summary of copyright law as applied to design instruments, but also will excite all students of federal jurisdiction with its application of mootness doctrines.