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Government Edicts Doctrine

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig PLLC

Supreme Court Developments in Intellectual Property Law

The past year has brought with it many changes, and the tumultuous realm of intellectual property law is no exception. From a pair of holdings that made copyright claims more difficult when the government is involved...more

Sunstein LLP

Supreme Court Denies Copyright Enforcement to State Legislature

Sunstein LLP on

In Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, decided by the Supreme Court on April 27, the principle at stake was whether, under the copyright law, a state legislature can have the rights of an “author” in publishing an annotated...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

U.S. Supreme Court: States Cannot Copyright Legal Code Annotations

On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the annotations found in Georgia’s official state law code—Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA)—are ineligible for copyright protection. Georgia et...more

WilmerHale

Supreme Court Expands the Government Edicts Doctrine to Legislators

WilmerHale on

The law – judicial opinions, statutes, and regulations – cannot be copyrighted. In Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., No.18-1150 (April 21, 2020), the US Supreme Court was presented with the question whether annotations,...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Making Your Mark

Georgia On Our Minds: Annotations Authored by Legislators Not Eligible for Copyright Protection

On April 27, the Supreme Court took us on a stroll down memory lane in its decision in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., referring us back to its very first copyright case and revisiting the government edicts doctrine for...more

Snell & Wilmer

If No One Owns the Law, Who Owns the Statutory Annotations?

Snell & Wilmer on

Last week, the Supreme Court held in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., that legislators cannot copyright any works that they created in the course of their official duties. Though the holding may appear straightforward...more

Locke Lord LLP

SCOTUS Holds that Annotations to Georgia Code Are Not Copyrightable

Locke Lord LLP on

On April 27, 2020, the United States Supreme Court held that annotations in the State of Georgia’s official codes are not eligible for copyright protection. The 5-4 decision marked the first time in over a century that the...more

Jones Day

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Georgia’s Copyright in Annotated Statutory Codes - The holding will impact states and publishing...

Jones Day on

Revisiting the government edicts doctrine for the first time in more than a century, the U.S. Supreme Court in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., No. 18–1150, 590 U.S. ___ (2020), split 5-4 to hold that annotations to...more

Akerman LLP - Marks, Works & Secrets

States Cannot Copyright Annotated Versions of Legal Codes

On April 27, 2020, the United States Supreme Court held, in Georgia et al. v. Public.Resource.Org., Inc., in a 5-4 decision, that copyright law does not protect annotations contained in the official annotated compilation of...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Georgia’s Loss is the Public’s Gain: Supreme Court Says States May Not Copyright Legal Codes

Womble Bond Dickinson on

The US Supreme Court ruled that state governments may not copyright annotated versions of their state’s legal code, saying that as a government edict, such information must be freely available to the public. The Court’s 5-4...more

BakerHostetler

‘No One Can Own the Law’: Supreme Court Holds Annotations to State Statutes Are Not Protected by Copyright

BakerHostetler on

The Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision on April 27, 2020, in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, upholding the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling that the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) is not entitled to copyright protection....more

McDermott Will & Emery

Official Statute Annotations Are Not Copyrightable

In a split decision, the Supreme Court of the United States in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc. affirmed a previous ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and held that annotations to the Official Code of...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

Supreme Court Rules Georgia Cannot Copyright Explanatory Annotations to Legislative Materials

On April 27, 2020,  the U.S. Supreme Court extended limits on the states’ ability to claim copyright protection over legislative materials and, specifically, over explanatory annotations added to legislative materials. The...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

US Supreme Court Rejects Attempt To Copyright Annotated Version of State Laws

On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., 590 U.S. ____, that pursuant to the “government edicts” doctrine, annotations to Georgia’s state code could not be...more

Cooley LLP

Alert: High Court Rules Works Authored by Legislators in Their Legislative Capacity Ineligible for Copyright Protection

Cooley LLP on

A divided Supreme Court has held that works authored by legislatures or legislators in their legislative capacity are ineligible for copyright protection (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc.). The Copyright Act protects...more

Mintz - Intellectual Property Viewpoints

Supreme Court Holds that States Cannot Copyright Annotated Versions of Their Statutes

On April 27, 2020, the Supreme Court held that annotations to legislative text, even if created by a private contracted party, are not copyrightable materials under 17 U.S.C. §101. Invoking the government edicts doctrine, the...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Not So Peachy in Georgia: Supreme Court Holds Annotated Code Not Eligible for Copyright Protection

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

In a 5-4 decision with the majority opinion delivered by Chief Justice Roberts, the Supreme Court held that copyright protection does not extend to annotations in Georgia’s official annotated code. The Code Revision Committee...more

K&L Gates LLP

U.S. Supreme Court Rules Georgia’S Official Annotated Code Outside the Scope of Copyright Protection Under “Government Edicts”...

K&L Gates LLP on

On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision authored by Chief Justice Roberts that copyright protection does not extend to the annotations in Georgia’s official annotated code. In the case, Georgia v....more

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

Supreme Court rejects Georgia copyright claim on annotated codes

GEORGIA ET AL. V. PUBLIC.RESOURCE.ORG, INC., CASE NO. 18-1150 (S. CT.), 590 U.S. ______ (APRIL 27, 2020). The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected the State of Georgia’s attempt to assert copyright in the Official Code of...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Supreme Court Decides Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc.

On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., holding that the annotations to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated are not eligible for copyright protection because the annotations...more

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