3 Matching Annotations
- Feb 2014
-
cyber.law.harvard.edu cyber.law.harvard.edu
-
T h i s p r o t e c t i o n i s s u b j e c t t o a n i m p o r t a n t l i m i t a t i o n . T h e m e r e f a c t t h a t a w o r k i s c o p y r i g h t e d d o e s n o t m e a n t h a t e v e r y e l e m e n t o f t h e w o r k m a y b e p r o t e c t e d . O r i g i n a l i t y r e m a i n s t h e s i n e q u a n o n o f c o p y r i g h t ; a c c o r d i n g l y , c o p y r i g h t p r o t e c t i o n m a y e x t e n d o n l y t o t h o s e c o m p o n e n t s o f a w o r k t h a t a r e o r i g i n a l t o t h e a u t h o r . P a t t e r s o n & J o y c e 8 0 0 - 8 0 2 ; G i n s b u r g , C r e a t i o n a n d C o m m e r c i a l V a l u e : C o p y r i g h t P r o t e c t i o n o f W o r k s o f I n f o r m a t i o n , 9 0 C o l u m . L . R e v . 1 8 6 5 , 1 8 6 8 , a n d n . 1 2 ( 1 9 9 0 ) ( h e r e i n a f t e r G i n s b u r g ) .
Though a work may be copyrightable it does not mean that every element of the work may be protectable.
-
F a c t u a l c o m p i l a t i o n s , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , m a y p o s s e s s t h e r e q u i s i t e o r i g i n a l i t y .
Factual compilations may possess the requisite originality and so may be copyrightable.
-
C e n s u s t a k e r s , f o r e x a m p l e , d o n o t " c r e a t e " t h e p o p u l a t i o n f i g u r e s t h a t e m e r g e f r o m t h e i r e f f o r t s ; i n a s e n s e , t h e y c o p y t h e s e f i g u r e s f r o m t h e w o r l d a r o u n d t h e m . D e n i c o l a , C o p y r i g h t i n C o l l e c t i o n s o f F a c t s : A T h e o r y f o r t h e P r o t e c t i o n o f N o n f i c t i o n L i t e r a r y W o r k s , 8 1 C o l u m . L . R e v . 5 1 6 , 5 2 5 ( 1 9 8 1 ) ( h e r e i n a f t e r D e n i c o l a ) . C e n s u s d a t a t h e r e f o r e d o n o t t r i g g e r c o p y r i g h t b e c a u s e t h e s e d a t a a r e n o t " o r i g i n a l " i n t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l s e n s e . N i m m e r § 2 . 0 3 [ E ] . T h e s a m e i s t r u e o f a l l f a c t s — s c i e n t i f i c , h i s t o r i c a l , b i o g r a p h i c a l , a n d n e w s o f t h e d a y . " [ T ] h e y m a y n o t b e c o p y r i g h t e d a n d a r e p a r t o f t h e p u b l i c d o m a i n a v a i l a b l e t o e v e r y p e r s o n . " M i l l e r , s u p r a , a t 1 3 6 9 .
Census takers do not create; they merely copy the figured from the world around them. All facts-- scientific, historical, biographical, and news of the day-- may not be copyrighted and are part of the public domain.
-