Cohen | Okediji | O'Rourke | Loren
Copyright in a Global Information Economy

Table of Contents

Casebook Quicklinks:
Part I | Part II | Part III
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Casebook

Part I—Introduction to Copyright Law

Chapter 1
Copyright in Context

  1. The Theoretical Underpinnings of Copyright Law
    1. Incentives for Authors and Publishers

      Trotter Hardy, Property (and Copyright) in Cyberspace

    2. Authors' Rights

      John Locke, Two Treatises on Government

    3. A Robust Public Domain

      Jessica Litman, The Public Domain

    4. An Uncensored Marketplace of Ideas
    5. A Theory of Users' Rights?
    6. What Progress, and Whose Welfare?

      William P. Alford, To Steal a Book Is an Elegant Offense

  2. The History of U.S. Copyright law
    1. From Censorship to Markets
    2. "Progress," Incentives, and Access
    3. Copyright Law and Technological Change
      1. New Methods of Creating New Works
      2. New Technologies for Distributing and Copying Works
      3. Legal Responses to New Technologies
    4. The Copyright Legislative Process
    5. The Copyright Industries
    6. New Challenges
  3. The Role of International traeties and Institutions
    1. From Pirate to Holdout to Enforcer: International Copyright and the United States
    2. The Berne Convention
    3. The TRIPs Agreement
    4. Copyright Lawmaking and Enforcement Under the Berne Convention and the TRIPs Agreement
      1. The World Trade Organization
      2. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the 1996 WIPO Treaties

        Ruth Gana Okediji, Copyright and Public Welfare in Global Perspective

Part II—The Subject Matter of Copyright Law

Chapter 2
Authors, Writings, and Progress

  1. The Elements of Copyrightable Subject Matter
    1. Fixation
      1. A Functional Approach

        Williams Electronics, Inc. v. Artic International, Inc.

        MAI Systems Corp. v. Peak Computer, Inc.

      2. A Technology-Specific Approach: Transmission and Contemporaneous Fixation, and the Problem of Bootleg Recordings
    2. 2. Originality

      Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co.

      1. a. The Road to Feist

        Burrow-Giles Lithographic Co. v. Sarony

        Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co.

        Alfred Bell & Co. v. Catalda Fine Arts, Inc.

        Note on Nonobviousness and Originality

      2. Some Contemporary Originality Problems

        Meshwerks, Inc. v. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.

        Mannion v. Coors Brewing Company.

    3. The "Idea/Expression" Distinction
      1. Form versus Function versus Fair Game

        Baker v. Selden

      2. Complications

        A.A. Hoehling v. Universal City Studios, Inc.

        American Dental Association v. Delta Dental Plans Association

    4. Derivative Works and Compilations
      1. Derivative Works

        L. Batlin & Son, Inc. v. Snyder

        Entertainment Research Group, Inc. v. Genesis Creative Group, Inc.

        Note on 103(a)

        Note on Blocking Patents

      2. Compilations

        Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co..

        Roth Greeting Cards v. United Card Co.

        Mason v. Montgomery Data, Inc.

  2. Who Is an Author?
    1. Sole Authorship
      1. Lindsay v. The Wrecked and Abandoned Vessel R.M.S. Titanic
    2. Joint Authorship
      1. Erickson v. Trinity Theatre, Inc.
      2. Aalmuhammed v. Lee
    3. Works Made for Hire
      1. Who Is an "Employee"?

        Community for Creative Non-Violence v. Reid

        Aymes v. Bonelli

        Note on Works Prepared Outside the United States

      2. What Is the "Scope of Employment"?

        Roeslin v. District of Columbia

        Note on Employer Ownership of Trade Secrets

        Note on the "Teacher Exception"

      3. Section 101(2) and "Specially Ordered or Commissioned" Works
        1. Note on the Mechanics of Section 101(2) Agreements
    4. U.S. Government Works
        1. Note on Model Codes
        2. Note on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Copyright
Chapter 3
Acquiring, Keeping, and Transferring Copyright
  1. Formalities
    1. An Overview
    2. What Is Publication?

      Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. v. CBS, Inc.

    3. Notice of Copyright
    4. Deposit Requirements
    5. Registration

      Note on Copyright's Default Rules and the Google Book Search Project

    6. Restoration of Copyright Protection for Certain Works of Foreign Authors
  2. Duration
    1. The Basics of Duration

      Works Created on or after January 1, 1978

      Works First Published before January 1, 1978

      Works Created but Unpublished Prior to January 1, 1978

    2. The Policy behind Copyright Duration

      Eldred v. Ashcroft

  3. Renewals and Terminations of Transfers
    1. Renewals

      Stewart v. Abend

    2. Termination of Transfers

      Terminations of Transfers Made after January 1, 1978 — Section 203

      Terminations of Transfers Made before January 1, 1978 — Section 304(c) & (d)

Chapter 4
Protected Works and Boundary Problems

  1. Useful Articles with Pictorial, Graphic, or Sculptural Aspects
    1. "Kitsch" or "Progress"?

      Mazer v. Stein

    2. Defining Useful Articles and Determining Separability

      Kieselstein-Cord v. Accessories by Pearl, Inc.

      Carol Barnhart Inc. v. Economy Cover Corp.

      Brandir International, Inc. v. Cascade Pacific Lumber Co.

    3. New Paradigms?

      Note on Design Patents

      Note on Trade Dress Protection

      Note on Industrial Design Protection in the EU

      Note on Industrial Design Protection Efforts in the U.S.

  2. Computer Software
    1. Text or Machine?

      Apple Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp.

    2. Distinguishing Idea from Expression in Software

      Computer Associates International, Inc. v. Altai, Inc.

      Softel, Inc. v. Dragon Medical and Scientific Communications, Inc.

      Lotus Development Corporation v. Borland International, Inc.

      Note on Protecting Interfaces

    3. New Paradigms?

      Note on Patent Protection for Software

      Note on Trade Secret Protection for Software

      Note on the EU Software Directive

  3. Architectural Works
    1. What is a "Building"?
    2. Are Buildings "Compilations"?

      Nelson-Salabes, Inc. v. Morningside Holdings

      Intervest Construction, Inc. v. Canterbury Estate Homes, Inc.

      Note on Limitations on the Protection Granted to Architectural Works

    3. New Paradigms?
  4. Characters
    1. Expression or Idea?

      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. v. American Honda Motor Co.

      Titan Sports, Inc. v. Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc.

      Note on Fan Fiction on the Internet

    2. New Paradigms?

      Note on Trademark and Unfair Competition Law

      Note on Rights of Publicity

  5. Databases
    1. Selection, Arrangement, and Utility

      Bellsouth Advertising & Publishing Corp. v. Donnelley Information Publishing, Inc.

      CCC Information Services, Inc. v. Maclean Hunter Market Reports, Inc.

    2. What Is a "Fact"?

      CDN Inc. v. Kapes

      Matthew Bender & Co. v. West Publishing Co.

    3. New Paradigms?

      Note on the EU Database Directive

      Note on Database Protection in the United States

      Jane C. Ginsburg, No "Sweat"? Copyright and Other Protection of Works of Information after Feist v. Rural Telephone

      J.H. Reichman & Pamela Samuelson, Intellectual Property Rights in Data?

Part III—Copyright Scope and Enforcement

Chapter 5
The Statutory Rights of Copyright Owners

  1. The Elements of Infringement
    1. The Prima Facie Case of Infringement
    2. Copying in Fact

      Three Boys Music Corp. v. Michael Bolton

      Selle v. Gibb

      Ty, Inc. v. GMA Accessories, Inc.

      Note on Documenting Independent Creation

  2. The Reproduction Right
    1. The "Substantially Similar" Copy
      1. Classic Cases

        Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp.

        Arnstein v. Porter

      2. Contemporary Cases

        Steinberg v. Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

        Boisson v. Banian, Ltd.

        Computer Associates International, Inc. v. Altai, Inc.

        Cavalier v. Random House, Inc.

        Swirsky v. Carey

      3. Another Contemporary Approach: The Ninth Circuit

        Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions, Inc. v. McDonald's Corp.

    2. The Exact Copy

      Note on Ephemeral Copies

  3. The Distribution Right
    1. What Is a "Distribution"?

      Capitol Records, Inc. v. Thomas

    2. The First Sale Doctrine

      Bobbs-Merrill Company v. Straus

      Note on the U.S. First Sale Doctrine and Its Limits

      Note on Libraries, the First Sale Doctrine, and Section 108

      Note on the EU Rental Rights Directive and the Public Lending Right

    3. Unauthorized Importation and the First Sale Doctrine

      Quality King Distributors, Inc. v. L'anza Research International, Inc.

  4. The Right to Prepare Derivative Works
    1. Defining "Derivative"

      Paul Goldstein, Derivative Rights and Derivative Works in Copyright

      Castle Rock Entertainment, Inc. v. Carol Publishing Group, Inc.

      Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. v. RDR Books.

    2. Modes of Transformation
      1. "Recasting" and Originality

        Mirage Editions, Inc. v. Albuquerque A.R.T. Company

        Lee v. A.R.T. Company

      2. Required Form?

        Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.

        Micro Star v. FormGen Inc.

        Note on Linking and Framing

  5. Moral Rights: The American Version
    1. Theories for the Protection of Moral Rights Under U.S. Law

      Gilliam v. American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.

    2. The Visual Artists Rights Act

      Lilly v. Stout

      Martin v. City of Indianapolis

    3. The Right of Attribution Revisited

      Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.

  6. The Public Performance and Public Display Rights
    1. Public Performance

      Columbia Pictures Indus. v. Redd Horne, Inc.

      Cartoon Network LP v. CSC Holdings, Inc.

    2. Public Display
    3. Public Performance, Public Display, and the Internet

      Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amacon.com, Inc.

    4. Limitations on the Public Performance and Public Display Rights

      Note on Distance Education Issues

      Note on Cable and Satellite Retransmission Rights

    5. International Treatment of Public Performances and Public Displays
  7. Copyright and the Music Industry
    1. Introduction to the "Players" in the Music Industry
    2. Reproduction, Public Distribution, and Derivative Work Issues
      1. Musical Works and Section 115
      2. Sound Recordings and Section 114
      3. Sampling Musical Works and Sound Recordings

        Newton v. Diamond

        Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films

      4. The Audio Home Recording Act
    3. Public Performance
      1. Musical Works, ASCAP and BMI

        Note on Section 116

      2. Section 110 Limitations Revisited
      3. Sound Recordings and Public Performance by Means of a Digital Audio Transmission

        Arista Records, LLC v. Launch Media, Inc.

Chapter 6
The Different Faces of Infringement

  1. The Direct Infringer

    Religious Technology Center v. Netcom On-Line Communication Services, Inc.

    Note on Infringement by Authorization

  2. Vicarious and Contributory Infringement

    Fonovisa, Inc. v. Cherry Auction, Inc.

    Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc.

    Perfect 10, Inc. v. Visa International Service Association

  3. Liability of Device Manufacturers
    1. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.
  4. On-line Service Provider Liability

    Note on Section 512

    Note on OSPs and User-Generated Content

    Note on Identifying and Suing the Direct Infringer

  5. Criminal Infringement

    Note on the History of Criminal Copyright Infringement

    United States v. Moran

    United States v. LaMacchia

    Note on Internet-Era Amendments to the Copyright Felony Provisions

Chapter 7
Another Limitation on Copyright: Fair Use

  1. Fair Use in Comparative Perspective
  2. The Different Faces of Fair Use
    1. Cultural Interchange

      Harper & Row, Publishers v. Nation Enterprises

      Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.

      New Era Publications Int'l v. Carol Publishing Group

      Castle Rock Entertainment v. Carol Publishing Group, Inc.

      Nuñez v. Caribbean International News Corp. (El Vocero de Puerto Rico)

      Bill Graham Archives v. Dorling Kindersley Ltd.

      Note on Fair Use and the First Amendment

    2. Technical Interchange

      Sega Enterprises Ltd. v. Accolade, Inc.

      Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. v. Connectix Corp.

      Note on the Interoperability Provisions of the EU Software Directive

      Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon, Inc.

    3. Market Failure or "Productive Consumption"?

      Sony Corporation of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.

      Note on "Productive Consumption"

      Note on Market Failure Theory

      A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.

      American Geophysical Union v. Texaco, Inc.

      Note on Princeton University Press v. Michigan Document Services, Inc. and the Classroom Guidelines

      Note on Best Practices Statements

Chapter 8

Copyright and Contracts

  1. Modes of Transfer
    1. Writing and Recording ‘‘Transfers’’ of Copyright
    2. Implied Licenses

      Asset Marketing Systems, Inc. v. Gagnon

    3. The Revision "Privilege" for Collective Works

      New York Times Company v. Tasini

  2. New Uses and Old Language

    Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers, Ltd. v. The Walt Disney Company

    Random House v. Rosetta Books, LLC

  3. New Licensing Models and the Contract/License Distinction

    Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc.

    Jacobsen v. Katzer

  4. Misuse

    Video Pipeline, Inc. v. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc.

    In re Napster, Inc. Copyright Litigation

    Note on the Relationship Between Copyright Law and Antitrust Law

Chapter 9
Technological Protections

  1. The Evolution of the Technological Protection Debate
  2. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Circumvention of Technological Protections

    Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Reimerdes

    Note on Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Corley

    Note on Library of Congress Rulemakings Under § 1201

    Note on International Approaches to the Implementation of the WCT

  3. Authorized Versus Unauthorized Access and Interoperable Products

    Chamberlain Group, Inc. v. Skylink Tech, Inc.

    Lexmark International, Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc.

  4. Protection for Copyright Management Information

    IQ Group, Ltd. v. Wiesner Publishing, LLC

    Kelly v. Arriba Soft Corp.

  5. Converging Technologies: Digital Television, the Broadcast Flag, and Cable Plug-and-Play Regulation

Chapter 10
State Law Theories of Protection, and Their Limit

  1. Federal Intellectual Property Preemption: An Overview

    Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Stiffel Co.

    Note on Compco Corp. v. Day-Brite Lighting, Inc.

    Goldstein v. California

    Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron Corp.

    Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc.

    Note on the Intellectual Property Clause and the Commerce Clause

  2. Express Preemption Under the 1976 Act

    Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. v. Nation Enterprises

    Video Pipeline, Inc. v. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc.

  3. The Right of Publicity

    Baltimore Orioles, Inc. v. Major League Baseball Players Association

    Brown v. Ames

    White v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

  4. Misappropriation

    International News Service v. Associated Press

    National Basketball Association v. Motorola, Inc.

    Note on Federal Database Protection

  5. Contract

    Note on Judicial Approaches to Contract Preemption

    Note on Contractual Provisions Against Reverse Engineering

    Bowers v. Baystate Technologies, Inc.

Chapter 11
The Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

  1. Proper Court

    Bassett v. Mashantucket Pequot Tribe

  2. Proper Timing
    1. The Registration Requirement and Filing Too Early

      Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick

    2. Filing Too Late

      Roley v. New World Pictures, Inc.

  3. Proper Plaintiffs (Standing)
    1. Copyright Infringement

      Eden Toys v. Florelee Undergarment Co.

    2. Declaratory Judgment Actions

      Bryan Ashley International, Inc. v. Shelby Williams Industries

  4. Proper Defendants

    Chavez v. Arte Publico Press

    Note on Sovereign Immunity of the United States

  5. Jury Trial

    Feltner v. Columbia Pictures Television, Inc.

  6. International Issues

    Itar-Tass Russian News Agency v. Russian Kurier, Inc.

    The Bridgeman Art Library, Ltd. v. Corel Corp.

  7. Civil Remedies
    1. Injunctions

      Abend v. MCA, Inc.

      Christopher Phelps & Associates, LLC v. Galloway

      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.

      Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Reimerdes

    2. Seizure and Impoundment
    3. Damages and Profits

      Frank Music Corp. v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

      Bouchat v. Baltimore Ravens Football Club, Inc.

      Los Angeles News Service v. Reuters Television International, Limited

    4. Statutory Damages

      Zomba Enterprises, Inc. v. Panorama Records, Inc.

    5. Attorneys' Fees

      Fantasy, Inc. v. Fogerty Positive Black Talk Inc. v. Cash Money Records, Inc.