Liturgical Music Copyright Dispute Revived by Ninth Circuit

A liturgical music composer’s copyright infringement claims were improperly dismissed by a federal trial court, the Ninth Circuit said.

Though the district court properly excluded more direct evidence of access to his work, Vincent Ambrosetti’s other evidence sufficiently established possible access and the possibility of substantial copying, Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. said Wednesday for the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, affirming and reversing in part the district court’s ruling.

Ambrosetti wrote the music and lyrics to the song, “Emmanuel,” in 1980. It was included in a liturgical music book, he recorded it multiple times, and played ...