www.rbs2.com/cidea.pdf 13 Apr 2013 Page 1 of 83 Ideas Not Copyrightable Copyright 2009 by Ronald B. Standler No copyright claimed for works of the U.S. Government. No copyright claimed for quotations from any source, except for selection of such quotations. Keywords copyright, copyrights, copyrightable, copyrightability, expression, idea, ideas, idea-expression dichotomy, idea-expression merger Table of Contents Introduction . 3 Ideas “Free As Air” ? . 4 History of Ideas Not Protected . 6 A. U.S. Courts before 1909 . 6 Story’s Executors v. Holcombe . 6 publication puts ideas in public domain . 7 Baker v. Selden . 7 Simms v. Stanton . 10 Holmes v. Hurst . 11 B. U.S. Courts between 1909 and 1976 . 11 Kalem Co. v. Harper Bros. 11 Eichel v. Marcin . 12 International News Service . 12 Dymow v. Bolton . 13 Nutt v. National Institute, Inc. 13 Guthrie v. Curlett . 14 Nichols . 14 Sheldon v. MGM . 16 Affiliated Enterprises . 17 Mazer v. Stein . 17 Rosenthal Jewelry v. Kalpakian . 18 Reyher v. Children’s Television Workshop . 18 Sid & Marty Krofft v. McDonald’s Corp. 19 C. 1976 statute . 23 legislative history . 23 D. U.S. Court cases after 1976 . 24 www.rbs2.com/cidea.pdf 13 Apr 2013 Page 2 of 83 Sony v. Universal City Studios . 24 Whelan v. Jaslow Dental Lab. 24 Kern River . 25 Mason v. Montgomery Data . 25 Computer Associates v. Altai . 26 Gates Rubber v. Bando, Ltd. 30 Veeck . 30 Satava v. Lowry . 31 Oravec . 31 E. Commentators . 32 Definition of Idea . 34 my definition . 36 idea in fictional works . 37 First Amendment Concerns . 38 Idea-Expression Merger . 42 Baker v. Selden . 42 Sampson & Murdock Co. v. Seaver-Radford . 43 Dorsey . 44 Beardsley . 45 Morrissey . 46 Rosenthal Jewelry v. Kalpakian . 47 Affiliated Hospital Products v. Merdel Game . 48 Apple Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp. 49 Educational Testing Services v. Katzman . 51 Kregos v. Associated Press . 52 CCC Information Services v. Maclean Hunter Market Reports . 53 Yankee Candle v. Bridgewater Candle . 56 Veeck v. Southern Building Code . 58 Danielson, Inc. v. Winchester-Conant Properties . 59 verbatim copying still prohibited . 60 Expression of Idea Is Copyrightable . 62 Other Concerns . 65 plagiarism . 65 compensating people who pitch ideas . 66 Patent Law Protects Some Ideas . 68 a patent is an exchange . 72 www.rbs2.com/cidea.pdf 13 Apr 2013 Page 3 of 83 Lack of protection for ideas is a taking? . 75 Why copyright can not protect ideas . 76 Conclusion . 80 Bibliography . 82 compensating people who pitch ideas . ..