From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Keifer v. Sony Music Entertainment

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Jun 15, 2004
8 A.D.3d 107 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)

Summary

affirming grant of summary judgment, where "[p]laintiffs failed to demonstrate triable issues of fact concerning their recording contract, which provided termination as the exclusive remedy against defendant"

Summary of this case from Guberman v. Chesed

Opinion

3879.

Decided June 15, 2004.

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Jane S. Solomon, J.), entered November 5, 2003, which granted defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, unanimously affirmed, with costs.

Robert S. Meloni, New York, for appellants.

Manatt Phelps Phillips, LLP, New York (Cynthia S. Arato of counsel), for respondent.

Before: Mazzarelli, J.P., Andrias, Sullivan, Lerner, Gonzalez, JJ.


Plaintiffs failed to demonstrate triable issues of fact concerning their recording contract, which provided termination as the exclusive remedy against defendant. Nor does the record reveal a violation of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in connection with defendant's decision not to release the album. Plaintiffs' claim of bad faith would imply an obligation inconsistent with other terms of the contractual relationship ( see Murphy v. American Home Prods. Corp., 58 N.Y.2d 293, 304). Not only did the contract give defendant unilateral control over release of an album, but defendant also retained the right to accept or reject plaintiffs' songs for inclusion in the album.

Plaintiffs are precluded from recovering reliance damages in light of the existence of a valid and enforceable written contract ( see Clark-Fitzpatrick, Inc. v. Long Is. R.R. Co., 70 N.Y.2d 382, 388), and the failure to show any expectation of compensation or recovery of losses in connection with touring costs had the album been released. Finally, since plaintiffs never delivered an album, there were no costs incurred in connection with recording, and defendant's contractual obligation to release the recording fund or any part of it as an advance never arose. Plaintiffs have no claim to the balance of that fund.

We have considered plaintiffs' remaining arguments and find them unavailing.

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.


Summaries of

Keifer v. Sony Music Entertainment

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Jun 15, 2004
8 A.D.3d 107 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)

affirming grant of summary judgment, where "[p]laintiffs failed to demonstrate triable issues of fact concerning their recording contract, which provided termination as the exclusive remedy against defendant"

Summary of this case from Guberman v. Chesed

In Keifer v Sony Music Entertainment, Inc. (8 Ad3d at 107), the Appellate Division, First Department, based its holding, in part, on the finding that "[p]laintiff['s] claim of bad faith would imply an obligation inconsistent with other terms of the contractual relationship."

Summary of this case from ELLISON v. THE ISLAND DEF JAM MUSIC GROUP
Case details for

Keifer v. Sony Music Entertainment

Case Details

Full title:TOM KEIFER, ET AL., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department

Date published: Jun 15, 2004

Citations

8 A.D.3d 107 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)
778 N.Y.S.2d 496

Citing Cases

ELLISON v. THE ISLAND DEF JAM MUSIC GROUP

See Notice of Motion (motion sequence number 002), Siegal Affirmation, Exhibit 1 (complaint), ¶ 153.…

Paru v. Mutual of America Life Insurance

Although there is no dispute that had defendant required that all transfers be executed by mail there could…