Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Tel. Service Co.
499 U.S. 340 (1991) Cited 3,470 times 45 Legal AnalysesHolding "it is beyond dispute that compilations of facts are within the subject matter of copyright" even though "copyright protects only the author's original contributions—not the facts or information conveyed"
Wildlife Exp. Corp. v. Carol Wright Sales, Inc.
18 F.3d 502 (7th Cir. 1994) Cited 191 timesFinding copyright infringement of soft-sculptured animal heads and tails on duffel bags
JCW Investments, Inc. v. Novelty, Inc.
482 F.3d 910 (7th Cir. 2007) Cited 118 timesHolding that defendant's entire doll was only "minimally distinguishable" from plaintiff's doll, which was a combination of numerous unprotectable details such as its face and chair
FASA Corp. v. Playmates Toys, Inc.
869 F. Supp. 1334 (N.D. Ill. 1994) Cited 32 timesHolding that "[t]he fact that the defendants were selling the allegedly infringing works under their own names—and, hence, implicitly misrepresenting the origin of the works or causing confusion in the consuming public—[does] not alter the analysis" that a state law claim "ultimately rest[ing] on the mere act of unauthorized copying" is preempted
Bryant v. Gordon
483 F. Supp. 2d 605 (N.D. Ill. 2007) Cited 11 timesDistinguishing ITOFCA on similar grounds
Rule 5 - Serving and Filing Pleadings and Other Papers
Fed. R. Civ. P. 5 Cited 22,753 times 16 Legal AnalysesAllowing service by filing papers with the court's electronic-filing system
Rule 33 - Interrogatories to Parties
Fed. R. Civ. P. 33 Cited 11,139 times 22 Legal AnalysesAdopting Rule 30(b)
Section 106 - Exclusive rights in copyrighted works
17 U.S.C. § 106 Cited 3,830 times 108 Legal AnalysesGranting the owners of copyrights in “literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works” the exclusive right “to display the copyrighted work publicly”
Section 412 - Registration as prerequisite to certain remedies for infringement
17 U.S.C. § 412 Cited 645 times 23 Legal AnalysesProhibiting statutory damages and attorney's fees if the work is not registered before infringement commences, or within three months of the work's first publication
Section 401 - Notice of copyright: Visually perceptible copies
17 U.S.C. § 401 Cited 241 times 3 Legal AnalysesRequiring notice on works published "by authority of the copyright owner"