Harvie Wilkinson

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J. Harvie Wilkinson
Image of J. Harvie Wilkinson
United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
Tenure

1984 - Present

Years in position

40

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Bachelor's

Yale University, 1967

Law

University of Virginia School of Law, 1972

Personal
Birthplace
New York, N.Y.


James Harvie Wilkinson III is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. He joined the court in 1984 after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan.[1]

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Wilkinson graduated from Yale University with his bachelor's degree in 1967, and earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1972.[1]

Military service

Wilkins served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1969.[1]

Professional career

Judicial career

4th Circuit Court of Appeals

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: James Harvie Wilkinson III
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
Progress
Confirmed 273 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: November 10, 1983
DefeatedAABA Rating:
Questionnaire:
ApprovedAHearing: November 16, 1983
February 22, 1984
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: March 15, 1984 
ApprovedAConfirmed: August 9, 1984
ApprovedAVote: 58-39
DefeatedAReturned: November 22, 1983

Wilkinson was first nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit by President Ronald Reagan on November 10, 1983, to a seat vacated by Judge John Butzner, Jr. Hearings on Wilkinson's nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on November 16, 1983. Under Rule XXXI, paragraph 6, of the standing rules of the U.S. Senate, Wilkinson's nomination was returned to President Reagan. Reagan resubmitted Wilkinson's nomination on January 30, 1984. The Senate Judiciary Committee again held hearings on February 22, 1984, and Wilkinson's nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) on March 15, 1984. A motion to recommit Wilkinson's nomination to the Judiciary Committee failed on May 24, 1984, on a Senate vote of 54-36. Wilkinson was confirmed in the U.S. Senate on a recorded 58-39 vote on August 9, 1984, and he received his commission on August 13, 1984. Wilkinson served as chief judge of the Fourth Circuit from 1996 to 2003.[1][2][3]

Noteworthy cases

Copyright suit over NFL Baltimore Ravens logo (2013)

See also: United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (Bouchat v. Baltimore Ravens Limited Partnership, et al, 12-2543)

On December 17, 2013, a three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit, composed of Judges Harvie Wilkinson, Allyson Duncan, and Albert Diaz, found that both the Baltimore Ravens' and National Football League's (NFL) use of the team's old "Flying B" logo did not infringe upon plaintiff Frederick Bouchat's copyright.[4]

In the underlying case, Bouchat, an amateur artist, proposed a new logo for the Ravens after the team moved to Baltimore in 1995. The Ravens then presented a logo that was strikingly similar to the one Bouchat suggested. Bouchat obtained a copyright on his original drawing and filed suit, ultimately winning the case but without damages awarded. Several years later, the Ravens again changed the team logo, but Bouchat alleged infringement once more, and attempted to prevent the team and the NFL from using its previous "Flying B" logo in documentary films and photographs. The district court found that the defendants' use was fair.[4]

Judge Wilkinson, writing for the majority, affirmed the lower court's decision, noting that the use of Bouchat's copyrighted work was transformative (i.e., it was used for a different purpose than its original one). Wilkinson further stated:

" The uses here were not only transformative, but also -- take your pick -- fleeting, incidental, de minimis, innocuous. If these uses failed to qualify as fair, a host of perfectly benign and valuable expressive works would be subject to lawsuits. That in turn would discourage the makers of all sorts of historical documentaries and displays, and would deplete society's fund of informative speech.[4][5]

The use of the Ravens logo, as negligible and incidental as it was, failed to rise to the level of "the type of commercial use frowned upon" by copyright law. Bouchat was not awarded any damages.[4]

See also

External links


Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
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United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
1984-Present
Succeeded by
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