The Good Wife s07e12 Episode Script
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It shouldn't be primarily about pro bono.
Look, I'm at Alicia's door.
I'll ask her.
Alicia Florrick? This is 603.
She's in 903.
Three floors up.
Oh.
Sorry.
DUI.
Wrong floor.
Up.
Three flights.
This is 603.
See? 603.
Six.
That's three numbers less than nine.
Oh, hello.
Do you work for Mrs.
Florrick? No.
Although sometimes I feel like it.
This is not her law firm.
This is my home.
See how pretty it is? They rearranged the panel on the elevator so the six is below the nine.
Could you please tell your client friends to learn to read? Are you here to see Alicia Florrick? Yep.
A music case.
Is this her door? Yep.
Oh, good.
It's you.
Dear God, what is up with that bitch downstairs? Rowby.
Hey! I know, right? It's been centuries, huh? Look at you, working from home.
You're like an artist now.
You look great.
I totally agree.
I guess that's what happens when you start working for yourself.
I got a kid now.
- Little Josh.
- Congratulations.
Thanks.
And, uh I could use some legal help.
Good morning, magic sunshine, it's a brand-new day I see you peeking through my curtains, come in and Stay, stay, go bananas Mmm.
Good song, Rowby.
Thanks.
It's my kid's birthday par Oh, that's him.
Little Josh.
He's a total clown.
He likes to imitate everyone.
But then again I might Wake up and start my day with magic sunshine You're good, Rowby.
I am good.
So what's the problem? Oh.
Um I got this letter from G.
F.
C Records.
That's your label? Yeah.
Well, my former label, yeah.
- They say the song's theirs? - Yeah.
That's the part I don't get.
I wrote it.
I mean, I wrote that song.
Ever since the whole "Thicky Trick" thing, I keep track of stuff.
Are you still under contract with them? No, I finished that contract, like, last year.
So I don't understand.
Have you recorded this song? No, I just play it at kids' birthday parties, but that video is online and it's gone viral.
S-Small viral, but viral.
I'll be right back.
- Mrs.
Dosek.
- Mrs.
Florrick.
I don't mean to be rude, but this is a residential building, and you're conducting business here.
Yes, I'll put a sign up in the elevator, Mrs.
Dosek.
Okay, that's not gonna make a difference.
Here.
Your daughter's report card.
- It's open.
- Yes.
I thought it was addressed to me.
She got two Bs and three Cs.
Hey.
It's weird.
I went to the wrong floor.
I think it's the way they changed the numbers in the elevator.
I'll make it all good, Mrs.
Dosek.
Thank you.
Good-bye.
- Cary? - So, am I late? Um For? For Rowby.
His new song.
- How did you know? - He came by Lockhart/Agos.
I suggested it might be more up your alley, but he wanted both of us.
Cary, it's a kids' song.
Yeah, with over a million views on YouTube and with other labels wanting to buy it.
Oh.
Sorry I'm late.
I just came from a nasty encounter, so I might have some wine.
That sounds good.
Uh, what encounter? Oh, just some woman yelled at me.
So how's the job search going? It's good, actually.
In fact, I wanted to thank you for offering to advise, but I got a job.
Really? Fantastic.
- Where? - Uh, oddly, at the firm I was complaining about.
Lockhart/Agos/Lee.
Huh.
I just left there a month ago.
- Why'd you leave? - Oh, the next shiny thing.
Alicia Florrick.
Now I'm not sure.
That's where I just got yelled at.
Really? - She said that? - Yes.
So she might come back? She didn't say that.
She just said she wasn't thrilled to be going to a law firm in someone's apartment.
You have to apologize.
- For what? - For arguing a pro-life position.
I wasn't arguing a pro-life position.
Diane, no one can understand what you were doing.
If saying "I'm sorry" gets us back in the door of a $4-million-a-year client, why wouldn't you? - Because I'm not sorry.
- Do you want me to step out? - No.
- Yes.
Will she meet with us? I don't know.
I was speaking highly of you.
How diverse you are here.
We should bring the cripple to the next meeting.
- Oh, my God.
- What? The lawyer in the wheelchair.
I know what you're saying.
Will you call her? It's not really my account.
Get her back in the door, and we'll talk.
Well, look who's here to survey the spoils.
Just seeing how you're doing.
Our polling was off.
I know.
Way off.
Was that you, too? No.
I really thought we were gonna - go on to New Hampshire.
- I know.
Peter did, too.
- But you didn't? - You had me tempted.
Your optimism was infectious.
Well You going on to Sanders? No.
Congressional races.
They're more fun.
You staying? Yeah.
Peter's got to get back into governing.
Well, I have some advice for you, if you don't mind.
- I'd never mind.
- Peter's in trouble.
I don't know from where, I don't know who.
But a governor who returns home after a loss has a target on his back.
Someone's gonna take a shot at him.
Who? I don't know.
Watch out for friends.
And on that sinister note, good-bye, Eli.
Good-bye, Ruth.
I wish I had been better to you.
I wish you had been, too.
Who are you? Uh, Lucca Quinn.
I work with Alicia.
Doing what? Lawyering.
Are you Rowby? Yeah.
I have to tell you something.
I think I love you.
No, I'm not kidding.
Like, I'm serious.
Like, I it's crazy.
Do you always decide things this fast? Uh yeah.
Hey, can can I play some music for you? 'Cause I think that's the only chance I got.
I don't think that's a good idea.
We're about to start negotiations.
Oh.
You want to sit down? Oh! Yeah.
Um seriously, though, can I just say that, like, I I never do this.
But you are the most beautiful human being I have ever seen, like, in my life.
- Thank you.
- It's crazy.
I think we have company.
Oh, hello.
We're back facing each other.
Andrea Stevens.
And you have some beautiful name, don't you? - Lucca Quinn.
- Lucca.
Yes.
And you've done something different with your hair, - haven't you? - No.
Yes.
Yes, in the front, the bangs.
I love it.
Should I just give you guys some space? Rowby Canton, always fun to hear from the artist.
I'm just gonna set myself up right over here, all right? Okay.
Good morning, everyone.
Um, I just want to say that my client, Damon, has great respect for your talent, Rowby.
Is that why he cut me loose? I cut you loose because I don't think we need to go over the gory details.
We respect you, Rowby, and that's why we sent you a cease and desist letter.
Your YouTube video must come down, and we ask that you no longer record the song "Good Morning Magic Sunshine" until you acquire our permission.
Our client appreciates all your respect, Andrea, um, but we respectfully reject your cease and desist.
Our client is the sole owner of the song he composed.
Unfortunately, that isn't true.
As you can see from this contract, Rowby owes us another album.
But I signed a two-album deal, and I gave you two albums.
I rejected the second one.
Damon.
One sec.
Mr.
Stryk wants our artists to be happy, so he'll offer, uh $1,500 for Rowby to record a studio version.
$1,500? - Seriously? - Seriously.
Oh, I would rather keep playing birthday parties.
And you know what? You're very good.
I have a daughter of my own.
Adopted from China last year.
And she loves it.
But, again, it's our song.
And we have to warn you, Rowby, that, um, we'll be pulling your video off-line.
No, you won't.
You can't do that.
Mm-hmm.
- Yeah, actually, I just did.
- Can she do that? If we assert a copyright interest, we can unilaterally remove infringing videos.
You can't assert a copyright Thank you, Bea, for giving us a second chance.
I don't know if that's what I'm doing.
But I am here to listen.
David Lee.
I hope you remember me.
I'm a real fan of yours.
I told Diane and David that you might be having some difficulty with the lack of infrastructure at Florrick/Quinn.
Yes.
But I'm not sure if I'm ready to come back here.
Well, we would love to tell you - "How"? - Yes, why don't you come - into Diane's office, and we can talk? - Yes, good idea.
I have a call to make first.
In the office! Just just right here.
Happy with that.
- What's wrong? - What are they doing here? - G.
F.
C Records? - No, Alicia and her partner.
I told you.
We're on this case together.
Are you trying to sabotage us? Not in our conference room, Cary.
We have Bea Wilson here.
- She's thinking of leaving them.
- I didn't know that.
Well, get them out of here.
All right, all right! Excuse me.
Thank you for your attention, everyone.
Damon? Look, we really wanted to settle this here, but you've given us no choice.
- We are suing your client.
- For what? Breach of contract.
$3.
1 million in damages.
Three point what? Look at your contract, buddy.
What part of my contract? It's their costs.
Costs? Oh, oh, it's $3.
1 million in costs? Promotional, touring They didn't promote my album.
CD packaging and breakage.
Almost everything was online.
I mean, I don't I don't I don't remember negotiating any of this stuff.
You probably didn't.
It's all pretty boiler-plate.
It's designed to maximize their profits, - keep their artists indebted.
- Well, it's working.
Now what? I mean, I-I can't afford $3.
1 million.
It's ridiculous.
Can you guys represent me? Well, we would have to talk about our fee.
Well, what if what if I just paid you back with a percentage of the song? If you get it back.
"If"? It's not about us.
It's about work.
I'm working as the chief of staff for Peter now again and I wanted to talk to you about the future.
Potential political problems.
Not just Oh.
Hi, Mrs.
Dosek.
How are you? Fine.
Can you give this to your mother? Oh.
Uh, yes.
What is it? It's from the homeowners' association.
It's an eviction notice.
Excuse me? Your mother is running a business out of her home.
No, she isn't.
You know, just tell you tell them that I'll see 'em in court.
Excuse me.
That's just a friend of the family.
Your mother has one week to respond before we commence eviction proceedings.
I like this office.
Why are you leaving it? - Come on, I need the chair.
- No, I think you should stay here.
It keeps you humble.
Come on, I don't have time to play.
Wow, you're sour.
See? It's so impersonal in here.
If you want the small office, you can take it.
- Uh-huh.
- Really? Really? I should take the small office? - I can have the job? - What job? The job you're offering me.
I am not offering you a job.
There is no job.
Can you see I'm busy? Dad, I need a job.
I need to finance my art.
- What art? - The art of living.
Come on.
I can't help you.
Ask someone else.
Ask Alicia.
Yeah, Alicia.
She probably needs someone.
- Her firm just took on a lot of clients.
- Huh.
It's not a bad idea.
Odd.
You know, you're not as fun as you used to be, Dad something's off with you.
It's called fatherhood.
The fact of the matter is that Rowby Canton isn't a freedom fighter.
He's a man under contract - who wishes he weren't.
- But Mr.
Canton says he delivered you a second album didn't he? Yes, but what he delivered was unacceptable.
Can I say something? Because that is r - really offensive.
- No.
Unfortunately not, Mr.
Canton.
Point of personal privilege.
Yes.
I'm guessing that you saw that in a movie, sir.
That doesn't work here.
- Please continue.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Mr.
Stryk.
- There were no crowd-pleasers, there were no hooks, there was nothing I could even repackage to any other artist.
I already reposted it.
How did you do that? I thought they had it excluded.
Mirror-reversed it.
The classic way to get around their detection software.
How long before you think they figure it out? I have produced over 200 of them.
And what Mr.
Canton handed me was not a hit.
Your Honor, I know it's hard for artists like Rowby, who tend to work from an emotional place, to understand - all the ins and outs - Objection, Your Honor.
Counsel is testifying.
No, I'm just trying to be compassionate, but I'll hold my tongue.
I seem to have touched on a sensitive area.
Mr.
Stryk you keep talking about hit records, but Rowby wasn't contractually obligated to deliver a hit album.
- That's true.
- He was obligated to deliver an album that was "substantially similar in quality and genre to artist's initial album.
" Is that true, too? - It is.
- No further questions, Your Honor.
- Ms.
Stevens, anything? - Yes.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Was Mr.
Canton's second album "substantially similar in quality and genre" to his first? - No, it was not.
- Why not? Because his first album wasn't substantially bad.
- Objection.
Prejudicial.
- Objection! Sustained.
Yeah.
Sustained.
Mr.
Canton, I'm extending you a little rope because I find you entertaining.
- Don't push it.
- I'm sorry, Your Honor.
Andrea, the video's back up.
Wow, you have a bitch of a neighbor downstairs.
Yeah, I know.
She's not happy with us.
- May I help you? - Marissa.
Remember? Eli's funny daughter.
I'm here to see your mom.
Oh, she'll be back from court in, like, a minute.
Can I wait? Oh, and the bitch gave me this.
She's trying to evict us.
Homeowners' association? Yeah.
We're not supposed to have a home office.
Does anybody have a home office? In the building? Yeah, I think so.
Why? You should check.
All these homeowners' association people think they're above the law.
Usually they're just as corrupt.
How do I check? Sit down in the lobby.
Wait for a UPS man or a FedEx man to come, then follow him up to the floor.
Whoever gets the most packages, they have the home offices.
I know.
It's my dad's genes.
Very sneaky.
Hey, Mom, we're in here.
- Marissa, hi.
- Hi.
I'm back in your life again.
So where were you? Were you back in Israel? No, San Francisco.
No reason.
Someone bet me.
- I need a job.
- Okay.
And I wanted to give you first shot at hiring me.
Thank you, uh, but I don't need anyone now.
Dad said you were taking on all these new clients.
Ah.
Eli told you that? Yeah.
He said you might need someone.
No, I'm good.
Okay.
Will you keep me in mind if things change? Sure, but I don't think they will.
Okay.
Is everything all right? Yes.
I just don't Tell Eli to stop it.
Stop what? Marissa, visit me because you want to, not because your dad wants you to.
I did because I wanted to.
Well, I have to get back to court.
Good seeing you again, Marissa.
Same here.
Morris Weiner, PhD.
I hold the Pederson Chair of Musicology at Ridgeton.
Doctor, what is pop music? A genre of popular music based in rock and roll of the '50s and '60s.
And how would you recognize a pop song? Through its hooks.
Pop songs are all full of hooks.
There's one in the intro, another in the chorus, there's another in the bridge.
And what do you mean by "hook"? It's a short, catchy, repeated riff.
It's an earworm.
And that's all there is to it? The hooks? No, uh, pop songs also tend to be nonharmonic with pronounced timbral dissonance.
Four-bar phrasing, a beat-per-minute range between 72 and 85.
So you're saying that Rowby Canton's new album didn't have most of these hallmarks? I'm saying it had none of them.
Listen.
I saw a light I'd never seen before Yes, yes, you're right.
It's-it's not as catchy, is it? I keep trying to tap my foot, but This was not substantially similar - to his first album.
- Thank you.
No further questions.
"Bohemian Rhapsody.
" The song by Queen.
You're familiar with it? - Of course.
- And you call that good? Right? A pop hit? - Well - I would.
Well, yeah, it-it is.
It's a pop hit.
Could you point out where the hooks are? Well, you know, not all pop songs are identical.
Oh.
Well, can I read back your testimony from a few minutes ago? "Pop songs are all full of hooks.
" Oh, Lucca, I love you.
Would you like to correct your testimony, sir? Not all pop songs are identical.
Most are identical.
Yeah Uh, sorry.
I-I don't think we caught that.
Right into your microphone there.
Yes, not all pop songs.
And could you tell us where the four-bar phrases are and the chorus and the verse? Well, that's difficult to distinguish.
And the 72 to 85 beats-per-minute range where's that? Yeah, but again, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is an unusual case.
As is Rowby's song.
Thank you.
Mm.
That last little bit wasn't really a question, was it? Yeah, let me see if I can confine my redirect to questions.
Mr.
Canton's contract said "substantially similar in quality and genre.
" What genre was his first album? - As I've said, it was pop.
- And what is this? I saw the light - It-it's not pop.
- Thank you.
And I love "Bohemian Rhapsody," too.
I couldn't stare Kermit Corriel.
I taught music at Juilliard.
You also have a doctorate in musicology from Juilliard? Well, yeah, but who goes around advertising that? This guy is awesome.
Would you agree that Rowby's second album is not in the same pop genre as his first album? I don't think I'd agree with any part of that.
His first album wasn't exactly 100% pop.
And I don't think his second album's all that different.
Can you explain? Well, yeah, I mean, genres aren't fixed, right? They ebb and flow over time.
And then there's this give and take between genres.
Like, Rowby's first album was pop, but it also had country and folk tendencies, too.
- And his second album? - Well, that pushes deeper into country.
You can hear that in the intro.
And then it pushes further into folk with the verse, and then in the chorus, I mean, look, it's pretty clear that it's indie pop.
So, is this the same or different than "Thicky Trick"? I don't know it-it-it's both, man.
Rowby's an artist.
He's exploring.
Both those songs are written by the same person, but they're not identical.
And no album should be identical.
Like Picasso, right? You see him going through his Blue Period or his Crystal Period.
- Thank you.
- Okay, this is all fascinating, but there's nothing that I've heard that convinces me that there's anything close to objective truth here, so I have to defer to the good faith efforts made by Mr.
Canton to fulfill his contract.
Yes, Your Honor, you are awesome, thank you.
Your Honor, uh, we seek lead to argue that the song was written during the term of his contract.
- What? - You do? Then why did we go through this exercise? I'm so sorry, Your Honor, but this was just brought to our attention.
This is another video that Mr.
Canton posted online.
Good morning, magic sunshine It's a brand-new day Very nice.
What am I looking for? The time code stamp.
ChummyVideo stamps the posting time of all videos.
See, this video was posted at 11:42 p.
m.
on November 30.
Rowby Canton's contract didn't expire until midnight on that date, Your Honor.
Therefore, he wrote the song while still under contract.
Wake up and start my day with magic sunsh What's going on with you and Alicia? Nothing.
Can we not do this now? No, we're doing this now, Dad.
You got Mom pregnant, so we're doing this now.
What did Alicia say? She said, "Tell Eli to stop it.
" Stop what? That's what I asked.
She didn't say.
She made it sound like she didn't have to say.
Alicia and I are having some issues.
Are you sleeping with her? Oh, my God, no! No.
Are you wanting to? What? No.
It's nothing like that.
Then what is it? Uh Six years ago, Alicia got a voice mail from a friend, someone who was in love with her.
Will? Yes.
How do you know that? I have eyes.
And he said that he loved her, and I was worried about Alicia getting this voice mail in the middle of a campaign, so I erased it.
And I felt bad about it, and so I told her.
When? A week ago.
And that's it.
So he called her and said, "I love you," and you erased it? And now Will's gone, and it's something she can never make right.
Yes.
I'm not proud of it.
That's why I told her.
God, it's like a soap opera here when I'm gone.
And now she's gonna think I'm trying to get back into her good graces by sending you over there.
- She won't talk to you? - No.
- You think that'll change? - No.
- Have you tried - Yes, yes.
Everything.
What are you doing? I don't know.
I have to think about it.
Just-just don't do anything, okay? - This is my thing.
- All right.
Bye.
You're gonna do something, aren't you? Marissa.
Andrea Stevens has subpoenaed your computer and your phone, so we need to know: Did you write "Good Morning Magic Sunshine" while you were under contract for G.
F.
C? - No.
- ChummyVideo time-stamps every posting, and we've confirmed you posted the song at 11:42 p.
m.
on the 30th, - which means the contract was still valid.
- Wait.
Where is ChummyVideo centered? - What do you mean? - Well, it's California, right? It's a California company.
That's right.
That's right.
Lucca, that's-that's totally right! Are you saying the time zone made a difference? Yes, I posted the video at 11:42 p.
m.
Pacific time, which means Yeah, which means the contract's expired.
Yeah, but you wrote the song in that short of a time? Yes, that's how all of my songs come.
Trust me when I say I know when the damn contract ended.
And the minute the clock struck midnight, I celebrated.
I had people over to my house.
Unfortunately, I woke up my son, and I tried to get him to go back to sleep, and when it didn't work, I wrote "Good Morning Magic Sunshine.
" You improvised it on video? Yeah, it's pretty cool, right? I keep telling you guys, it's just a song I wrote for my kid.
I would really like to buy you a drink.
Why? Because you are awesome.
How long have you been married, Rowby? I've never been married.
I wrote you a song.
So who was holding the camera? What camera? When you were playing for your son? You were playing the guitar, your son was in bed, and someone was holding the camera.
Who was that? We're divorced.
She wanted a two-car garage, and I couldn't give it to her.
True story.
You're like a Bond girl.
I like artists, but I lose interest in them real quick.
You want to go home? Sure.
I have a babysitter.
Is your home an artist's hovel? Yes, but tomorrow's cleaning day.
My apartment.
Just for an hour.
Then you'll go home.
I promise.
It was just, like boom! It wasn't there, and then all of a sudden, it was there.
It was, uh, like, this-this, um, like, creative orgasm.
Like a burst of creativity.
Yes, like a yes.
And I just, I sat there, and I just watched the clock until my contract expired, and then I was like, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
And I wrote, like, eight songs, one after another, like, boom.
And is that common to be able to generate a good, quality song in such a short amount of time? The song "Yesterday," McCartney woke up with that in his head.
- Thank you.
- Mr.
Canton, do you mind if I ask, how long did it take you to write the eight songs for your second album? - I don't know.
Years? - Two years, actually.
So it took two years for eight songs, and then, let's see, two hours for the next eight? I was just under a lot of pressure to write the first eight songs.
My goodness, that must be quite a bit of pressure for you.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- I withdraw that.
It's not a big point.
So can you help me understand this note you left on your subpoenaed smartphone? It's a lyric from "Good Morning Magic Sunshine.
" It says, "Make me warm and toasty while I lay here warm and cozy," and it's dated 23 days before the end of your record contract.
Uh, I wrote that down, but that's not a lyric.
I'm pretty sure it is.
No, it ended up as a lyric.
It's just, it's something that my son said.
Like, he said something totally cute and awesome, and I wrote it down.
Which, according to the terms of your deal with G.
F.
C Records, constitutes work product created within the term of your contract.
You're claiming that you own the copyright to that line? - Absolutely.
- Uh, that's absurd on its face.
They don't own everything his kid says - just because he wrote it down.
- I didn't say "everything.
" - Are you seriously? - Well, that's I mean, his son his son His son, Your Honor, his son, Josh's quote was not work product.
Your Honor, it was inspiration.
"Inspiration" isn't a legal term.
It's an artistic conceit.
- Because Rowby is an artist.
- An artist under contract.
But Rowby's contract does not negate the creative process.
He wrote something down that was meaningful to him, not knowing it would make its way into a song.
But it did, quite directly.
Josh's quote was the first step in a songwriting process that Mr.
Canton began while still under a deal with G.
F.
C.
Think about what she's saying, Your Honor.
A.
A.
Milne based Christopher Robin on his son, but that doesn't mean he started writing Winnie-the-Pooh the day he became a father.
Bob Dylan didn't start writing "Tangled Up in Blue" on the day of his marriage even though that's what it's about.
Those were general inspirations; this is a specific line.
- No, it became a specific line.
- Moreover, the existence of this note undercuts Mr.
Canton's claim that he wrote "Good Morning Magic Sunshine" in less than a day.
The act of observing the world is not the same as composing.
Enough, please.
Um, your cynicism is, I'm sure, warranted, given your business, Miss Stevens, but I-I must agree with the defendant here.
Observing the world is not the same as composing.
I don't think any of us want to slide down that slippery slope.
Case dismissed.
Did we did we just win? - You won.
- We won?! Yes.
We did it.
And I'm constantly signing for her packages, and not for her personally; for her business.
I-I'm sorry, but I understood that Mrs.
Florrick would be present for today's meeting.
Uh, Mrs.
Florrick is otherwise disposed at the moment, but as an employee of Florrick/Quinn, I can answer any questions you might have.
Aren't you her daughter? Yes.
I'm also an employee.
Oh, so you admit that she is running - a business from her apartment.
- Yes.
Well, that's against HOA regulations.
- Is it? - Yes, it is.
Now Well, then why isn't Mr.
Tipton being questioned? - I don't follow.
- Mr.
Graham Tipton.
He runs a business out of his apartment on the sixth floor.
- Why isn't he? - I do not.
Well, you're a day trader, aren't you? You work out of your apartment? I work from home.
That's different than running a business out of my apartment.
But your loan-out company, Graham Is Awesome, Inc.
, lists this building as its address, and your business receives its mail here.
Are you always available to sign for it? - No, but - Okay, look, we are not on trial here.
The regulations also prohibit subletting, but Mrs.
Dosek rents a spare bedroom in her apartment to her mother-in-law.
Well, that's my mother-in-law.
There's an exemption for family.
Actually, there isn't.
Then there's Mr.
Loring on the eighth floor, who frequently hosts high-priced call girls.
Okay, okay, maybe we should just table this discussion for the moment.
I think that'd be good.
My mother's a great lawyer.
She usually stands up well for herself.
'Cause I don't want to look back and wonder What if I'd called your name? So won't you tell me, Lucca Oh, no.
I'm singing my heart out.
How can you answer a text? You're being sued.
Again? The label is suing you for copyright infringement.
Of what? Another kids' song they own.
"Moony Moonikins.
" $2.
8 million in damages.
My God.
The law just gives so many people ways to be mean.
You gonna protect me? Doing my best.
So let's talk about "Moony Moonikins.
" You've heard it? Oh, yeah, of course.
You've even played it in your children's sets.
I usually open my sets with it.
It's, like, every kid's favorite song.
Yeah, my adopted daughter from China, she just adores it.
Uh, tell me, how did this work? Did you just decide to change it a bit and then put your name on it, or? No, look, if there's any similarities between the two songs, it's 'cause they're both kids songs.
You know, when you're working with kids with a shorter attention span, and there's no sex, drugs, and rock and roll, you're somewhat narrowing your sandbox.
Yet other people have managed to do that and not plagiarize, so - Objection.
- Sustained.
Think I made my point, Your Honor.
- Your witness.
- Rowby, can you show us how you composed "Good Morning Magic Sunshine"? - Objection, Your Honor.
- No, I'd like to see this.
Uh, so this is SuperScribe.
I play notes on the keyboard, and then they just populate into sheet music in real time.
Uh, could you please, uh, play a little of "Good Morning Magic Sunshine"? Sure.
Acoustics are actually pretty good in here.
You guys should rent it out for gigs.
Thank you.
Now can you play "Moony Moonikins"? Yeah.
It's catchy, right? - Does no one have kids? - Guilty.
Adopted daughter from China.
Could you please superimpose the two songs you just played? If they're similar, they should overlap.
As you can see, Your Honor, these two songs are nothing alike.
Objection, Your Honor, he just left out the performance elements the kazoo, the squeaky toy, the xylophone, the shakers, the clapping Because none of that is legally copyrightable.
With music, what you can copyright is the actual sound recording or the composition.
Any similarities here are the kind that are not legally protected.
What do you say to that, Ms.
Stevens? Take this four-note run from "Magic Sunshine.
" And this four-note run from "Moony.
" Now look.
They're virtually identical.
So you see major similarities.
Micro-segments are exactly the same.
- Thank you.
- If you looked at micro-segments in a lot of children's songs, wouldn't there be many major similarities? - No.
- For example, isn't the theme from SpongeBob Squarepants similar to the sea chantey "Blow the Man Down"? I-I'm not familiar with the theme song you're talking about.
What about the opening percussion riffs in the Supremes' version of "You Can't Hurry Love" and Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life"? Aren't they identical? You know, I I'm not prepared to say that.
Well, what about the chorus riff in Boston's "More Than a Feeling" and "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen? Objection, Your Honor.
This is not Name That Tune.
This is getting a bit ridiculous.
And that's our point.
When you break a song down into small enough components, you'll always find similarities.
Don't break them down, then, Your Honor.
Just listen to them together.
Okay, okay, I've heard enough.
I will take this under advisement.
We'll reconvene for my decision this afternoon.
I found myself wrong about this firm, so I gave it a second chance.
She gave me a second chance.
You say Bea Wilson is returning? Yes.
Uh, she's thinking of returning.
She wasn't thrilled with having a law firm that works out of an apartment building.
My God.
There's this horrible woman there.
Yes, Alicia can be quite trying.
I don't think she means Let me just close this.
You know this could go either way, right? Let's settle.
What have you got? We can't break our contracts.
It would set a bad precedent, but we could give Rowby a few points.
A few? Seriously? Where's Rowby? Maybe he should hear this.
- We're late.
- It's okay.
They can't start without us.
Ms.
Dunne? How are you? Good.
Just going.
I see that.
You're dropping by the office tomorrow, right? Right.
You okay? That's one of our new clients.
So? What's she doing here? They're stealing our clients.
You should've seen her.
She looked so guilty.
Yes, Alicia Florrick for Lila Dunne, please.
I see.
When will she be back in? - They screwed us.
- Thank you.
Who else could they be going after? We haven't seen Bea Wilson in a while.
She was supposed to call yesterday.
- That would be bad.
- And Cary.
Cary's been screwing us the whole time.
Alicia Florrick.
Okay.
We're on our way.
Judge Page, she's made a decision.
You go.
I'm gonna stay here and call our clients.
Hey, what's up? Hey, man.
Andrea has another offer.
Go to hell.
Excuse me? All rise.
Good morning, magic sunshine It's a brand-new day She likes it.
She likes me.
Okay, this is what I know.
"Good Morning, Magic Sunshine" is a good song.
And I don't even have kids.
But when you start to chop it up, deconstruct it, you stop hearing it.
And that's not how you're supposed to listen to music.
When I'm just experiencing these songs and not analyzing them, they sound the same.
They simply have too much in common for this to be a coincidence.
So based on the evidence presented, I concluded, Mr.
Canton, you stole that song.
Summary judgment for the plaintiff.
But, Bea, just give us a chance.
The advantage to working with a small firm is dedication.
We don't split our duties.
Okay.
I'll await your call.
Can I help, Mom? Make any calls? No, I'm good.
No, seriously, I'm done with all my homework.
Okay, then we should talk.
Uh-oh.
Is it one of those talks? Yes.
I'm afraid it is.
You know how much I love you, right? And how much I appreciate everything you're doing here, for the firm, for me.
Mom, if it's about my grades, I can bring them up.
- I promise you.
- You need to stop working at Florrick/Quinn.
You're firing me? Yes, I am.
But that's not fair.
I've been doing such a good job.
Yes, you have.
You have been doing an amazing job.
Too amazing, in fact.
So you're firing me for doing too good a job? - That has to be illegal.
- Grace, you need to start focusing on your future, not mine.
Mom, you need me.
Yes, as a daughter, I so, so do.
But as a mother as your mother I need to be taking care of you, not the reverse.
Do you understand what I'm saying? I understand.
You want me to butt out of your life.
No.
My business.
Mom, you can't fire me and hug me at the same time.
Oh, yes, I can.
Are you sad? Well, kind of.
I don't like losing.
Yeah, me neither.
'Cause, Lucca When you're near me All is plain to see That, Lucca All that matters Is you with me.
That's wonderful.
Thanks.
Sell it.
- To who? - To anyone.
Yeah? Change the name, though.
Whoa, where you going? Back to real life.
What was this? So, you screwed us.
You mean did we try to poach the clients you poached from us? - Did you? - Yes.
Great.
Congratulations.
They said no.
We can't get ahold of our clients.
Yeah, because they're saying no to you, too.
What does that mean? They want you as lawyers, but they want our infrastructure.
And if they can't have both, they're gonna keep looking.
- How do you know that? - They said it.
So why are you here? Come back to Lockhart/Agos.
- No.
- Why not? You fired me.
And I've never worked there.
We want you back.
And we want you to come with her.
Diane does? Well, she understands the situation.
Thank you, but I'm not interested.
If you change your mind I won't.
Thank you.
Bye.
Shall we at least discuss this? - Okay.
- We're working out of your apartment.
We still have 70% DUIs.
We're barely making ends meet.
And we may have just lost our top four clients.
And we don't have to answer to anyone.
Because no one else wants us.
Do you want to go and work for a big firm? I don't know.
Maybe.
Well, I can't.
So what do we do? Oh, dear God.
You have to forgive my dad.
Marissa.
I'm not here for him.
I'm here for me.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'll leave you to it.
Did I interrupt something? Yes.
My dad cares about you, Alicia.
He only confessed to you what he did because he was torn up about it.
He never had to confess.
You wouldn't have known.
No one would've known.
But he cares about you.
And my dad doesn't care about many people.
Yes, he did wrong, but let him apologize.
Let him What? You're looking at me like you want to tell me something.
Get lost? Go to hell? No.
Then what? I hurt.
I'm sorry.
It hurt me.
He knows that.
Then he can't expect anything more of me.
It would be unfair for him to expect anything more.
Then let me say something.
Something very small.
Call him up and say, "You're forgiven.
"I need some time to not deal with you, but you're forgiven.
" I can't.
Please? Marissa, I No.
Look, I'm at Alicia's door.
I'll ask her.
Alicia Florrick? This is 603.
She's in 903.
Three floors up.
Oh.
Sorry.
DUI.
Wrong floor.
Up.
Three flights.
This is 603.
See? 603.
Six.
That's three numbers less than nine.
Oh, hello.
Do you work for Mrs.
Florrick? No.
Although sometimes I feel like it.
This is not her law firm.
This is my home.
See how pretty it is? They rearranged the panel on the elevator so the six is below the nine.
Could you please tell your client friends to learn to read? Are you here to see Alicia Florrick? Yep.
A music case.
Is this her door? Yep.
Oh, good.
It's you.
Dear God, what is up with that bitch downstairs? Rowby.
Hey! I know, right? It's been centuries, huh? Look at you, working from home.
You're like an artist now.
You look great.
I totally agree.
I guess that's what happens when you start working for yourself.
I got a kid now.
- Little Josh.
- Congratulations.
Thanks.
And, uh I could use some legal help.
Good morning, magic sunshine, it's a brand-new day I see you peeking through my curtains, come in and Stay, stay, go bananas Mmm.
Good song, Rowby.
Thanks.
It's my kid's birthday par Oh, that's him.
Little Josh.
He's a total clown.
He likes to imitate everyone.
But then again I might Wake up and start my day with magic sunshine You're good, Rowby.
I am good.
So what's the problem? Oh.
Um I got this letter from G.
F.
C Records.
That's your label? Yeah.
Well, my former label, yeah.
- They say the song's theirs? - Yeah.
That's the part I don't get.
I wrote it.
I mean, I wrote that song.
Ever since the whole "Thicky Trick" thing, I keep track of stuff.
Are you still under contract with them? No, I finished that contract, like, last year.
So I don't understand.
Have you recorded this song? No, I just play it at kids' birthday parties, but that video is online and it's gone viral.
S-Small viral, but viral.
I'll be right back.
- Mrs.
Dosek.
- Mrs.
Florrick.
I don't mean to be rude, but this is a residential building, and you're conducting business here.
Yes, I'll put a sign up in the elevator, Mrs.
Dosek.
Okay, that's not gonna make a difference.
Here.
Your daughter's report card.
- It's open.
- Yes.
I thought it was addressed to me.
She got two Bs and three Cs.
Hey.
It's weird.
I went to the wrong floor.
I think it's the way they changed the numbers in the elevator.
I'll make it all good, Mrs.
Dosek.
Thank you.
Good-bye.
- Cary? - So, am I late? Um For? For Rowby.
His new song.
- How did you know? - He came by Lockhart/Agos.
I suggested it might be more up your alley, but he wanted both of us.
Cary, it's a kids' song.
Yeah, with over a million views on YouTube and with other labels wanting to buy it.
Oh.
Sorry I'm late.
I just came from a nasty encounter, so I might have some wine.
That sounds good.
Uh, what encounter? Oh, just some woman yelled at me.
So how's the job search going? It's good, actually.
In fact, I wanted to thank you for offering to advise, but I got a job.
Really? Fantastic.
- Where? - Uh, oddly, at the firm I was complaining about.
Lockhart/Agos/Lee.
Huh.
I just left there a month ago.
- Why'd you leave? - Oh, the next shiny thing.
Alicia Florrick.
Now I'm not sure.
That's where I just got yelled at.
Really? - She said that? - Yes.
So she might come back? She didn't say that.
She just said she wasn't thrilled to be going to a law firm in someone's apartment.
You have to apologize.
- For what? - For arguing a pro-life position.
I wasn't arguing a pro-life position.
Diane, no one can understand what you were doing.
If saying "I'm sorry" gets us back in the door of a $4-million-a-year client, why wouldn't you? - Because I'm not sorry.
- Do you want me to step out? - No.
- Yes.
Will she meet with us? I don't know.
I was speaking highly of you.
How diverse you are here.
We should bring the cripple to the next meeting.
- Oh, my God.
- What? The lawyer in the wheelchair.
I know what you're saying.
Will you call her? It's not really my account.
Get her back in the door, and we'll talk.
Well, look who's here to survey the spoils.
Just seeing how you're doing.
Our polling was off.
I know.
Way off.
Was that you, too? No.
I really thought we were gonna - go on to New Hampshire.
- I know.
Peter did, too.
- But you didn't? - You had me tempted.
Your optimism was infectious.
Well You going on to Sanders? No.
Congressional races.
They're more fun.
You staying? Yeah.
Peter's got to get back into governing.
Well, I have some advice for you, if you don't mind.
- I'd never mind.
- Peter's in trouble.
I don't know from where, I don't know who.
But a governor who returns home after a loss has a target on his back.
Someone's gonna take a shot at him.
Who? I don't know.
Watch out for friends.
And on that sinister note, good-bye, Eli.
Good-bye, Ruth.
I wish I had been better to you.
I wish you had been, too.
Who are you? Uh, Lucca Quinn.
I work with Alicia.
Doing what? Lawyering.
Are you Rowby? Yeah.
I have to tell you something.
I think I love you.
No, I'm not kidding.
Like, I'm serious.
Like, I it's crazy.
Do you always decide things this fast? Uh yeah.
Hey, can can I play some music for you? 'Cause I think that's the only chance I got.
I don't think that's a good idea.
We're about to start negotiations.
Oh.
You want to sit down? Oh! Yeah.
Um seriously, though, can I just say that, like, I I never do this.
But you are the most beautiful human being I have ever seen, like, in my life.
- Thank you.
- It's crazy.
I think we have company.
Oh, hello.
We're back facing each other.
Andrea Stevens.
And you have some beautiful name, don't you? - Lucca Quinn.
- Lucca.
Yes.
And you've done something different with your hair, - haven't you? - No.
Yes.
Yes, in the front, the bangs.
I love it.
Should I just give you guys some space? Rowby Canton, always fun to hear from the artist.
I'm just gonna set myself up right over here, all right? Okay.
Good morning, everyone.
Um, I just want to say that my client, Damon, has great respect for your talent, Rowby.
Is that why he cut me loose? I cut you loose because I don't think we need to go over the gory details.
We respect you, Rowby, and that's why we sent you a cease and desist letter.
Your YouTube video must come down, and we ask that you no longer record the song "Good Morning Magic Sunshine" until you acquire our permission.
Our client appreciates all your respect, Andrea, um, but we respectfully reject your cease and desist.
Our client is the sole owner of the song he composed.
Unfortunately, that isn't true.
As you can see from this contract, Rowby owes us another album.
But I signed a two-album deal, and I gave you two albums.
I rejected the second one.
Damon.
One sec.
Mr.
Stryk wants our artists to be happy, so he'll offer, uh $1,500 for Rowby to record a studio version.
$1,500? - Seriously? - Seriously.
Oh, I would rather keep playing birthday parties.
And you know what? You're very good.
I have a daughter of my own.
Adopted from China last year.
And she loves it.
But, again, it's our song.
And we have to warn you, Rowby, that, um, we'll be pulling your video off-line.
No, you won't.
You can't do that.
Mm-hmm.
- Yeah, actually, I just did.
- Can she do that? If we assert a copyright interest, we can unilaterally remove infringing videos.
You can't assert a copyright Thank you, Bea, for giving us a second chance.
I don't know if that's what I'm doing.
But I am here to listen.
David Lee.
I hope you remember me.
I'm a real fan of yours.
I told Diane and David that you might be having some difficulty with the lack of infrastructure at Florrick/Quinn.
Yes.
But I'm not sure if I'm ready to come back here.
Well, we would love to tell you - "How"? - Yes, why don't you come - into Diane's office, and we can talk? - Yes, good idea.
I have a call to make first.
In the office! Just just right here.
Happy with that.
- What's wrong? - What are they doing here? - G.
F.
C Records? - No, Alicia and her partner.
I told you.
We're on this case together.
Are you trying to sabotage us? Not in our conference room, Cary.
We have Bea Wilson here.
- She's thinking of leaving them.
- I didn't know that.
Well, get them out of here.
All right, all right! Excuse me.
Thank you for your attention, everyone.
Damon? Look, we really wanted to settle this here, but you've given us no choice.
- We are suing your client.
- For what? Breach of contract.
$3.
1 million in damages.
Three point what? Look at your contract, buddy.
What part of my contract? It's their costs.
Costs? Oh, oh, it's $3.
1 million in costs? Promotional, touring They didn't promote my album.
CD packaging and breakage.
Almost everything was online.
I mean, I don't I don't I don't remember negotiating any of this stuff.
You probably didn't.
It's all pretty boiler-plate.
It's designed to maximize their profits, - keep their artists indebted.
- Well, it's working.
Now what? I mean, I-I can't afford $3.
1 million.
It's ridiculous.
Can you guys represent me? Well, we would have to talk about our fee.
Well, what if what if I just paid you back with a percentage of the song? If you get it back.
"If"? It's not about us.
It's about work.
I'm working as the chief of staff for Peter now again and I wanted to talk to you about the future.
Potential political problems.
Not just Oh.
Hi, Mrs.
Dosek.
How are you? Fine.
Can you give this to your mother? Oh.
Uh, yes.
What is it? It's from the homeowners' association.
It's an eviction notice.
Excuse me? Your mother is running a business out of her home.
No, she isn't.
You know, just tell you tell them that I'll see 'em in court.
Excuse me.
That's just a friend of the family.
Your mother has one week to respond before we commence eviction proceedings.
I like this office.
Why are you leaving it? - Come on, I need the chair.
- No, I think you should stay here.
It keeps you humble.
Come on, I don't have time to play.
Wow, you're sour.
See? It's so impersonal in here.
If you want the small office, you can take it.
- Uh-huh.
- Really? Really? I should take the small office? - I can have the job? - What job? The job you're offering me.
I am not offering you a job.
There is no job.
Can you see I'm busy? Dad, I need a job.
I need to finance my art.
- What art? - The art of living.
Come on.
I can't help you.
Ask someone else.
Ask Alicia.
Yeah, Alicia.
She probably needs someone.
- Her firm just took on a lot of clients.
- Huh.
It's not a bad idea.
Odd.
You know, you're not as fun as you used to be, Dad something's off with you.
It's called fatherhood.
The fact of the matter is that Rowby Canton isn't a freedom fighter.
He's a man under contract - who wishes he weren't.
- But Mr.
Canton says he delivered you a second album didn't he? Yes, but what he delivered was unacceptable.
Can I say something? Because that is r - really offensive.
- No.
Unfortunately not, Mr.
Canton.
Point of personal privilege.
Yes.
I'm guessing that you saw that in a movie, sir.
That doesn't work here.
- Please continue.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Mr.
Stryk.
- There were no crowd-pleasers, there were no hooks, there was nothing I could even repackage to any other artist.
I already reposted it.
How did you do that? I thought they had it excluded.
Mirror-reversed it.
The classic way to get around their detection software.
How long before you think they figure it out? I have produced over 200 of them.
And what Mr.
Canton handed me was not a hit.
Your Honor, I know it's hard for artists like Rowby, who tend to work from an emotional place, to understand - all the ins and outs - Objection, Your Honor.
Counsel is testifying.
No, I'm just trying to be compassionate, but I'll hold my tongue.
I seem to have touched on a sensitive area.
Mr.
Stryk you keep talking about hit records, but Rowby wasn't contractually obligated to deliver a hit album.
- That's true.
- He was obligated to deliver an album that was "substantially similar in quality and genre to artist's initial album.
" Is that true, too? - It is.
- No further questions, Your Honor.
- Ms.
Stevens, anything? - Yes.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Was Mr.
Canton's second album "substantially similar in quality and genre" to his first? - No, it was not.
- Why not? Because his first album wasn't substantially bad.
- Objection.
Prejudicial.
- Objection! Sustained.
Yeah.
Sustained.
Mr.
Canton, I'm extending you a little rope because I find you entertaining.
- Don't push it.
- I'm sorry, Your Honor.
Andrea, the video's back up.
Wow, you have a bitch of a neighbor downstairs.
Yeah, I know.
She's not happy with us.
- May I help you? - Marissa.
Remember? Eli's funny daughter.
I'm here to see your mom.
Oh, she'll be back from court in, like, a minute.
Can I wait? Oh, and the bitch gave me this.
She's trying to evict us.
Homeowners' association? Yeah.
We're not supposed to have a home office.
Does anybody have a home office? In the building? Yeah, I think so.
Why? You should check.
All these homeowners' association people think they're above the law.
Usually they're just as corrupt.
How do I check? Sit down in the lobby.
Wait for a UPS man or a FedEx man to come, then follow him up to the floor.
Whoever gets the most packages, they have the home offices.
I know.
It's my dad's genes.
Very sneaky.
Hey, Mom, we're in here.
- Marissa, hi.
- Hi.
I'm back in your life again.
So where were you? Were you back in Israel? No, San Francisco.
No reason.
Someone bet me.
- I need a job.
- Okay.
And I wanted to give you first shot at hiring me.
Thank you, uh, but I don't need anyone now.
Dad said you were taking on all these new clients.
Ah.
Eli told you that? Yeah.
He said you might need someone.
No, I'm good.
Okay.
Will you keep me in mind if things change? Sure, but I don't think they will.
Okay.
Is everything all right? Yes.
I just don't Tell Eli to stop it.
Stop what? Marissa, visit me because you want to, not because your dad wants you to.
I did because I wanted to.
Well, I have to get back to court.
Good seeing you again, Marissa.
Same here.
Morris Weiner, PhD.
I hold the Pederson Chair of Musicology at Ridgeton.
Doctor, what is pop music? A genre of popular music based in rock and roll of the '50s and '60s.
And how would you recognize a pop song? Through its hooks.
Pop songs are all full of hooks.
There's one in the intro, another in the chorus, there's another in the bridge.
And what do you mean by "hook"? It's a short, catchy, repeated riff.
It's an earworm.
And that's all there is to it? The hooks? No, uh, pop songs also tend to be nonharmonic with pronounced timbral dissonance.
Four-bar phrasing, a beat-per-minute range between 72 and 85.
So you're saying that Rowby Canton's new album didn't have most of these hallmarks? I'm saying it had none of them.
Listen.
I saw a light I'd never seen before Yes, yes, you're right.
It's-it's not as catchy, is it? I keep trying to tap my foot, but This was not substantially similar - to his first album.
- Thank you.
No further questions.
"Bohemian Rhapsody.
" The song by Queen.
You're familiar with it? - Of course.
- And you call that good? Right? A pop hit? - Well - I would.
Well, yeah, it-it is.
It's a pop hit.
Could you point out where the hooks are? Well, you know, not all pop songs are identical.
Oh.
Well, can I read back your testimony from a few minutes ago? "Pop songs are all full of hooks.
" Oh, Lucca, I love you.
Would you like to correct your testimony, sir? Not all pop songs are identical.
Most are identical.
Yeah Uh, sorry.
I-I don't think we caught that.
Right into your microphone there.
Yes, not all pop songs.
And could you tell us where the four-bar phrases are and the chorus and the verse? Well, that's difficult to distinguish.
And the 72 to 85 beats-per-minute range where's that? Yeah, but again, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is an unusual case.
As is Rowby's song.
Thank you.
Mm.
That last little bit wasn't really a question, was it? Yeah, let me see if I can confine my redirect to questions.
Mr.
Canton's contract said "substantially similar in quality and genre.
" What genre was his first album? - As I've said, it was pop.
- And what is this? I saw the light - It-it's not pop.
- Thank you.
And I love "Bohemian Rhapsody," too.
I couldn't stare Kermit Corriel.
I taught music at Juilliard.
You also have a doctorate in musicology from Juilliard? Well, yeah, but who goes around advertising that? This guy is awesome.
Would you agree that Rowby's second album is not in the same pop genre as his first album? I don't think I'd agree with any part of that.
His first album wasn't exactly 100% pop.
And I don't think his second album's all that different.
Can you explain? Well, yeah, I mean, genres aren't fixed, right? They ebb and flow over time.
And then there's this give and take between genres.
Like, Rowby's first album was pop, but it also had country and folk tendencies, too.
- And his second album? - Well, that pushes deeper into country.
You can hear that in the intro.
And then it pushes further into folk with the verse, and then in the chorus, I mean, look, it's pretty clear that it's indie pop.
So, is this the same or different than "Thicky Trick"? I don't know it-it-it's both, man.
Rowby's an artist.
He's exploring.
Both those songs are written by the same person, but they're not identical.
And no album should be identical.
Like Picasso, right? You see him going through his Blue Period or his Crystal Period.
- Thank you.
- Okay, this is all fascinating, but there's nothing that I've heard that convinces me that there's anything close to objective truth here, so I have to defer to the good faith efforts made by Mr.
Canton to fulfill his contract.
Yes, Your Honor, you are awesome, thank you.
Your Honor, uh, we seek lead to argue that the song was written during the term of his contract.
- What? - You do? Then why did we go through this exercise? I'm so sorry, Your Honor, but this was just brought to our attention.
This is another video that Mr.
Canton posted online.
Good morning, magic sunshine It's a brand-new day Very nice.
What am I looking for? The time code stamp.
ChummyVideo stamps the posting time of all videos.
See, this video was posted at 11:42 p.
m.
on November 30.
Rowby Canton's contract didn't expire until midnight on that date, Your Honor.
Therefore, he wrote the song while still under contract.
Wake up and start my day with magic sunsh What's going on with you and Alicia? Nothing.
Can we not do this now? No, we're doing this now, Dad.
You got Mom pregnant, so we're doing this now.
What did Alicia say? She said, "Tell Eli to stop it.
" Stop what? That's what I asked.
She didn't say.
She made it sound like she didn't have to say.
Alicia and I are having some issues.
Are you sleeping with her? Oh, my God, no! No.
Are you wanting to? What? No.
It's nothing like that.
Then what is it? Uh Six years ago, Alicia got a voice mail from a friend, someone who was in love with her.
Will? Yes.
How do you know that? I have eyes.
And he said that he loved her, and I was worried about Alicia getting this voice mail in the middle of a campaign, so I erased it.
And I felt bad about it, and so I told her.
When? A week ago.
And that's it.
So he called her and said, "I love you," and you erased it? And now Will's gone, and it's something she can never make right.
Yes.
I'm not proud of it.
That's why I told her.
God, it's like a soap opera here when I'm gone.
And now she's gonna think I'm trying to get back into her good graces by sending you over there.
- She won't talk to you? - No.
- You think that'll change? - No.
- Have you tried - Yes, yes.
Everything.
What are you doing? I don't know.
I have to think about it.
Just-just don't do anything, okay? - This is my thing.
- All right.
Bye.
You're gonna do something, aren't you? Marissa.
Andrea Stevens has subpoenaed your computer and your phone, so we need to know: Did you write "Good Morning Magic Sunshine" while you were under contract for G.
F.
C? - No.
- ChummyVideo time-stamps every posting, and we've confirmed you posted the song at 11:42 p.
m.
on the 30th, - which means the contract was still valid.
- Wait.
Where is ChummyVideo centered? - What do you mean? - Well, it's California, right? It's a California company.
That's right.
That's right.
Lucca, that's-that's totally right! Are you saying the time zone made a difference? Yes, I posted the video at 11:42 p.
m.
Pacific time, which means Yeah, which means the contract's expired.
Yeah, but you wrote the song in that short of a time? Yes, that's how all of my songs come.
Trust me when I say I know when the damn contract ended.
And the minute the clock struck midnight, I celebrated.
I had people over to my house.
Unfortunately, I woke up my son, and I tried to get him to go back to sleep, and when it didn't work, I wrote "Good Morning Magic Sunshine.
" You improvised it on video? Yeah, it's pretty cool, right? I keep telling you guys, it's just a song I wrote for my kid.
I would really like to buy you a drink.
Why? Because you are awesome.
How long have you been married, Rowby? I've never been married.
I wrote you a song.
So who was holding the camera? What camera? When you were playing for your son? You were playing the guitar, your son was in bed, and someone was holding the camera.
Who was that? We're divorced.
She wanted a two-car garage, and I couldn't give it to her.
True story.
You're like a Bond girl.
I like artists, but I lose interest in them real quick.
You want to go home? Sure.
I have a babysitter.
Is your home an artist's hovel? Yes, but tomorrow's cleaning day.
My apartment.
Just for an hour.
Then you'll go home.
I promise.
It was just, like boom! It wasn't there, and then all of a sudden, it was there.
It was, uh, like, this-this, um, like, creative orgasm.
Like a burst of creativity.
Yes, like a yes.
And I just, I sat there, and I just watched the clock until my contract expired, and then I was like, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
And I wrote, like, eight songs, one after another, like, boom.
And is that common to be able to generate a good, quality song in such a short amount of time? The song "Yesterday," McCartney woke up with that in his head.
- Thank you.
- Mr.
Canton, do you mind if I ask, how long did it take you to write the eight songs for your second album? - I don't know.
Years? - Two years, actually.
So it took two years for eight songs, and then, let's see, two hours for the next eight? I was just under a lot of pressure to write the first eight songs.
My goodness, that must be quite a bit of pressure for you.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- I withdraw that.
It's not a big point.
So can you help me understand this note you left on your subpoenaed smartphone? It's a lyric from "Good Morning Magic Sunshine.
" It says, "Make me warm and toasty while I lay here warm and cozy," and it's dated 23 days before the end of your record contract.
Uh, I wrote that down, but that's not a lyric.
I'm pretty sure it is.
No, it ended up as a lyric.
It's just, it's something that my son said.
Like, he said something totally cute and awesome, and I wrote it down.
Which, according to the terms of your deal with G.
F.
C Records, constitutes work product created within the term of your contract.
You're claiming that you own the copyright to that line? - Absolutely.
- Uh, that's absurd on its face.
They don't own everything his kid says - just because he wrote it down.
- I didn't say "everything.
" - Are you seriously? - Well, that's I mean, his son his son His son, Your Honor, his son, Josh's quote was not work product.
Your Honor, it was inspiration.
"Inspiration" isn't a legal term.
It's an artistic conceit.
- Because Rowby is an artist.
- An artist under contract.
But Rowby's contract does not negate the creative process.
He wrote something down that was meaningful to him, not knowing it would make its way into a song.
But it did, quite directly.
Josh's quote was the first step in a songwriting process that Mr.
Canton began while still under a deal with G.
F.
C.
Think about what she's saying, Your Honor.
A.
A.
Milne based Christopher Robin on his son, but that doesn't mean he started writing Winnie-the-Pooh the day he became a father.
Bob Dylan didn't start writing "Tangled Up in Blue" on the day of his marriage even though that's what it's about.
Those were general inspirations; this is a specific line.
- No, it became a specific line.
- Moreover, the existence of this note undercuts Mr.
Canton's claim that he wrote "Good Morning Magic Sunshine" in less than a day.
The act of observing the world is not the same as composing.
Enough, please.
Um, your cynicism is, I'm sure, warranted, given your business, Miss Stevens, but I-I must agree with the defendant here.
Observing the world is not the same as composing.
I don't think any of us want to slide down that slippery slope.
Case dismissed.
Did we did we just win? - You won.
- We won?! Yes.
We did it.
And I'm constantly signing for her packages, and not for her personally; for her business.
I-I'm sorry, but I understood that Mrs.
Florrick would be present for today's meeting.
Uh, Mrs.
Florrick is otherwise disposed at the moment, but as an employee of Florrick/Quinn, I can answer any questions you might have.
Aren't you her daughter? Yes.
I'm also an employee.
Oh, so you admit that she is running - a business from her apartment.
- Yes.
Well, that's against HOA regulations.
- Is it? - Yes, it is.
Now Well, then why isn't Mr.
Tipton being questioned? - I don't follow.
- Mr.
Graham Tipton.
He runs a business out of his apartment on the sixth floor.
- Why isn't he? - I do not.
Well, you're a day trader, aren't you? You work out of your apartment? I work from home.
That's different than running a business out of my apartment.
But your loan-out company, Graham Is Awesome, Inc.
, lists this building as its address, and your business receives its mail here.
Are you always available to sign for it? - No, but - Okay, look, we are not on trial here.
The regulations also prohibit subletting, but Mrs.
Dosek rents a spare bedroom in her apartment to her mother-in-law.
Well, that's my mother-in-law.
There's an exemption for family.
Actually, there isn't.
Then there's Mr.
Loring on the eighth floor, who frequently hosts high-priced call girls.
Okay, okay, maybe we should just table this discussion for the moment.
I think that'd be good.
My mother's a great lawyer.
She usually stands up well for herself.
'Cause I don't want to look back and wonder What if I'd called your name? So won't you tell me, Lucca Oh, no.
I'm singing my heart out.
How can you answer a text? You're being sued.
Again? The label is suing you for copyright infringement.
Of what? Another kids' song they own.
"Moony Moonikins.
" $2.
8 million in damages.
My God.
The law just gives so many people ways to be mean.
You gonna protect me? Doing my best.
So let's talk about "Moony Moonikins.
" You've heard it? Oh, yeah, of course.
You've even played it in your children's sets.
I usually open my sets with it.
It's, like, every kid's favorite song.
Yeah, my adopted daughter from China, she just adores it.
Uh, tell me, how did this work? Did you just decide to change it a bit and then put your name on it, or? No, look, if there's any similarities between the two songs, it's 'cause they're both kids songs.
You know, when you're working with kids with a shorter attention span, and there's no sex, drugs, and rock and roll, you're somewhat narrowing your sandbox.
Yet other people have managed to do that and not plagiarize, so - Objection.
- Sustained.
Think I made my point, Your Honor.
- Your witness.
- Rowby, can you show us how you composed "Good Morning Magic Sunshine"? - Objection, Your Honor.
- No, I'd like to see this.
Uh, so this is SuperScribe.
I play notes on the keyboard, and then they just populate into sheet music in real time.
Uh, could you please, uh, play a little of "Good Morning Magic Sunshine"? Sure.
Acoustics are actually pretty good in here.
You guys should rent it out for gigs.
Thank you.
Now can you play "Moony Moonikins"? Yeah.
It's catchy, right? - Does no one have kids? - Guilty.
Adopted daughter from China.
Could you please superimpose the two songs you just played? If they're similar, they should overlap.
As you can see, Your Honor, these two songs are nothing alike.
Objection, Your Honor, he just left out the performance elements the kazoo, the squeaky toy, the xylophone, the shakers, the clapping Because none of that is legally copyrightable.
With music, what you can copyright is the actual sound recording or the composition.
Any similarities here are the kind that are not legally protected.
What do you say to that, Ms.
Stevens? Take this four-note run from "Magic Sunshine.
" And this four-note run from "Moony.
" Now look.
They're virtually identical.
So you see major similarities.
Micro-segments are exactly the same.
- Thank you.
- If you looked at micro-segments in a lot of children's songs, wouldn't there be many major similarities? - No.
- For example, isn't the theme from SpongeBob Squarepants similar to the sea chantey "Blow the Man Down"? I-I'm not familiar with the theme song you're talking about.
What about the opening percussion riffs in the Supremes' version of "You Can't Hurry Love" and Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life"? Aren't they identical? You know, I I'm not prepared to say that.
Well, what about the chorus riff in Boston's "More Than a Feeling" and "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen? Objection, Your Honor.
This is not Name That Tune.
This is getting a bit ridiculous.
And that's our point.
When you break a song down into small enough components, you'll always find similarities.
Don't break them down, then, Your Honor.
Just listen to them together.
Okay, okay, I've heard enough.
I will take this under advisement.
We'll reconvene for my decision this afternoon.
I found myself wrong about this firm, so I gave it a second chance.
She gave me a second chance.
You say Bea Wilson is returning? Yes.
Uh, she's thinking of returning.
She wasn't thrilled with having a law firm that works out of an apartment building.
My God.
There's this horrible woman there.
Yes, Alicia can be quite trying.
I don't think she means Let me just close this.
You know this could go either way, right? Let's settle.
What have you got? We can't break our contracts.
It would set a bad precedent, but we could give Rowby a few points.
A few? Seriously? Where's Rowby? Maybe he should hear this.
- We're late.
- It's okay.
They can't start without us.
Ms.
Dunne? How are you? Good.
Just going.
I see that.
You're dropping by the office tomorrow, right? Right.
You okay? That's one of our new clients.
So? What's she doing here? They're stealing our clients.
You should've seen her.
She looked so guilty.
Yes, Alicia Florrick for Lila Dunne, please.
I see.
When will she be back in? - They screwed us.
- Thank you.
Who else could they be going after? We haven't seen Bea Wilson in a while.
She was supposed to call yesterday.
- That would be bad.
- And Cary.
Cary's been screwing us the whole time.
Alicia Florrick.
Okay.
We're on our way.
Judge Page, she's made a decision.
You go.
I'm gonna stay here and call our clients.
Hey, what's up? Hey, man.
Andrea has another offer.
Go to hell.
Excuse me? All rise.
Good morning, magic sunshine It's a brand-new day She likes it.
She likes me.
Okay, this is what I know.
"Good Morning, Magic Sunshine" is a good song.
And I don't even have kids.
But when you start to chop it up, deconstruct it, you stop hearing it.
And that's not how you're supposed to listen to music.
When I'm just experiencing these songs and not analyzing them, they sound the same.
They simply have too much in common for this to be a coincidence.
So based on the evidence presented, I concluded, Mr.
Canton, you stole that song.
Summary judgment for the plaintiff.
But, Bea, just give us a chance.
The advantage to working with a small firm is dedication.
We don't split our duties.
Okay.
I'll await your call.
Can I help, Mom? Make any calls? No, I'm good.
No, seriously, I'm done with all my homework.
Okay, then we should talk.
Uh-oh.
Is it one of those talks? Yes.
I'm afraid it is.
You know how much I love you, right? And how much I appreciate everything you're doing here, for the firm, for me.
Mom, if it's about my grades, I can bring them up.
- I promise you.
- You need to stop working at Florrick/Quinn.
You're firing me? Yes, I am.
But that's not fair.
I've been doing such a good job.
Yes, you have.
You have been doing an amazing job.
Too amazing, in fact.
So you're firing me for doing too good a job? - That has to be illegal.
- Grace, you need to start focusing on your future, not mine.
Mom, you need me.
Yes, as a daughter, I so, so do.
But as a mother as your mother I need to be taking care of you, not the reverse.
Do you understand what I'm saying? I understand.
You want me to butt out of your life.
No.
My business.
Mom, you can't fire me and hug me at the same time.
Oh, yes, I can.
Are you sad? Well, kind of.
I don't like losing.
Yeah, me neither.
'Cause, Lucca When you're near me All is plain to see That, Lucca All that matters Is you with me.
That's wonderful.
Thanks.
Sell it.
- To who? - To anyone.
Yeah? Change the name, though.
Whoa, where you going? Back to real life.
What was this? So, you screwed us.
You mean did we try to poach the clients you poached from us? - Did you? - Yes.
Great.
Congratulations.
They said no.
We can't get ahold of our clients.
Yeah, because they're saying no to you, too.
What does that mean? They want you as lawyers, but they want our infrastructure.
And if they can't have both, they're gonna keep looking.
- How do you know that? - They said it.
So why are you here? Come back to Lockhart/Agos.
- No.
- Why not? You fired me.
And I've never worked there.
We want you back.
And we want you to come with her.
Diane does? Well, she understands the situation.
Thank you, but I'm not interested.
If you change your mind I won't.
Thank you.
Bye.
Shall we at least discuss this? - Okay.
- We're working out of your apartment.
We still have 70% DUIs.
We're barely making ends meet.
And we may have just lost our top four clients.
And we don't have to answer to anyone.
Because no one else wants us.
Do you want to go and work for a big firm? I don't know.
Maybe.
Well, I can't.
So what do we do? Oh, dear God.
You have to forgive my dad.
Marissa.
I'm not here for him.
I'm here for me.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'll leave you to it.
Did I interrupt something? Yes.
My dad cares about you, Alicia.
He only confessed to you what he did because he was torn up about it.
He never had to confess.
You wouldn't have known.
No one would've known.
But he cares about you.
And my dad doesn't care about many people.
Yes, he did wrong, but let him apologize.
Let him What? You're looking at me like you want to tell me something.
Get lost? Go to hell? No.
Then what? I hurt.
I'm sorry.
It hurt me.
He knows that.
Then he can't expect anything more of me.
It would be unfair for him to expect anything more.
Then let me say something.
Something very small.
Call him up and say, "You're forgiven.
"I need some time to not deal with you, but you're forgiven.
" I can't.
Please? Marissa, I No.