United Artists Corp. v. Masterpiece Productions Inc‪.‬

In an action for copyright infringement and unfair trade practices involving the right to license motion pictures for television performance, Masterpiece Productions, Inc., a defendant, filed a counterclaim to which it sought to join certain other persons not then before the court. The district court held that the counterclaim, which alleged unfair trade practices and conspiratorial activities on the part of the plaintiff and additional defendants, was merely permissive and not compulsory. The court further found that the independent jurisdiction needed to sustain the permissive counterclaim was lacking as to some of the additional defendants, who were of the same state as the defendant Masterpiece. Hence these additional defendants were dismissed from the suit, and the counterclaim was dismissed as to them. United Artists Corp. v. Grinieff, D.C.S.D.N.Y., 15 F.R.D. 395. Defendant Masterpiece appeals from this disposition of its counterclaim.