Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/347/201
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 12:57:09+00:00

Document:
Respondents are partners in the manufacture and sale of electric lamps. One of the respondents created original works of sculpture in the form of human figures by traditional clay-model technique. From this model, a production mold for casting copies was made. The resulting statuettes, without any lamp components added, were submitted by the respondents to the Copyright Office for registration as 'works of art' or reproductions thereof under § 5(g) or § 5(h) of the copyright law, 1 and certificates of registration issued. Sales (publication in accordance with the statute) as fully equipped lamps preceded the applications for copyright registration of the statuettes. 17 U.S.C. (Supp. V, 1952) §§ 10, 11, 13, 209, 17 U.S.C.A. §§ 10, 11, 13, 209; Rules and Regulations, 37 CFR, 1949, §§ 202.8 and 202.9. Thereafter, the statuettes were sold in quantity throughout the country both as lamp bases and as statuettes. The sales in lamp form accounted for all but an insignificant portion of respondents' sales.
The instant case is one in a series of reported suits brought by respondents against various alleged infringers of the copyrights, all presenting the same or a similar question. 2 Because of conflicting decisions, 3 we granted certiorari. 346 U.S. 811, 74 S.Ct. 49. In the present case respondents sued petitioners for infringement in Maryland. Stein v. Mazer, D.C., 111 F.Supp. 359. Following the Expert decision and rejecting the reasoning of the District Court in the Rosenthal opinion, both referred to in the preceding note, the District Court dismissed the complaint. The Court of Appeals reversed and held the copyrights valid. Stein v. Mazer, 4 Cir., 204 F.2d 472. 4 It said: 'A subsequent utilization of a work of art in an article of manufacture in no way affects the right of the copyright owner to be protected against infringement of the work of art itself.' 204 F.2d at page 477.
Unlike a patent, a copyright gives no exclusive right to the art disclosed; protection is given only to the expression of the ideanot the idea itself. 39 Thus, in Baker v. Selden, 101 U.S. 99, 25 L.Ed. 841, the Court held that a copyrighted book on a peculiar system of bookkeeping was not infringed by a similar book using a similar plan which achieved similar results where the alleged infringer made a different arrangement of the columns and used different headings. The distinction is illustrated in Fred Fisher, Inc. v. Dillingham, D.C., 298 F. 145, 151, when the court speaks of two men, each a perfectionist, independently making maps of the same territory. Though the maps are identical each may obtain the exclusive right to make copies of his own particular map, and yet neither will infringe the other's copyright. Likewise a copyrighted directory is not infringed by a similar directory which is the product of independent work. 40 The copyright protects originality rather than novelty or inventionconferring only 'the sole right of multiplying copies.' 41 Absent copying there can be no infringement of copyright. 42 Thus, respondents may not exclude others from using statuettes of human figures in table lamps; they may only prevent use of copies of their statuettes as such or as incorporated in some other article. Regulation § 202.8, supra, makes clear that artistic articles are protected in 'form but not their mechanical or utilitarian aspects.' See Stein v. Rosenthal, D.C., 103 F.Supp. 227, 231. The dichotomy of protection for the aesthetic is not beauty and utility but art for the copyright and the invention of original and ornamental design for design patents. We find nothing in the copyright statute to support the argument that the intended use or use in industry of an article eligible for copyright bars or invalidates its registration. We do not read such a limitation into the copyright law.
An important constitutional question underlies this casea question which was stirred on oral argument but not treated in the briefs. It is whether these statuettes of dancing figures may be copyrighted. Congress has provided that 'works of art', 'models or designs for works of art', and 'reproductions of a work of art' may be copyrighted, 17 U.S.C 5, 17 U.S.C.A. § 5; and the Court holds that these statuettes are included in the words 'works of art'. But may statuettes be granted the monopoly of the copyright?
The interests involved in the category of 'works of art,' as used in the copyright law, are considerable. The Copyright Office has supplied us with a long list of such articles which have been copyrightedstatuettes, book ends, clocks, lamps, door knockers, candlesticks, inkstands, chandeliers, piggy banks, sundials, salt and pepper shakers, fish bowls, casseroles, and ash trays. Perhaps these are all 'writings' in the constitutional sense. But to me, at least, they are not obviously so. It is time that we came to the problem full face. I would accordingly put the case down for reargument.
See as to commerce, 100 U.S. at pages 9598; Robert, Commentary on the Lanham Trade-Mark Act, 15 U.S.C.A. (§§ 811113, 1948) p. 265.
Ball, Law of Copyright and Literary Property (1944), 390; Howell, Copyright Law (1952), 130; 1 Ladas, The International Protection of Literary and Artistic Property (1938), 247; Weil, Copyright Law (1917), 227; Derenberg, Copyright No-Man's Land: Fringe Rights in Literary and Artistic Property, 1953 Copyright Problems Analyzed (CCH) 215; Pogue, BorderlandWhere Copyright and Design Patent Meet, 52 Mich.L.Rev. 33; Notes, 21 Geo.Wash.L.Rev. 353; 66 Harv.L.Rev. 877; 27 Ind.L.J. 130. See Report of the Copyright Committee, Board of Trade, October 1952, Artistic Copyright and Industrial Designs, pp. 82 et seq.
13 Stat. 540. Between 1789 and 1904, there were in all some twenty-five laws dealing with copyrights. Salberg, Copyright in Congress (1905), 8993.
Arguments before the Committees on Patents of the Senate and House of Representatives, conjointly, on S. 6330 and H.R. 19853, To Amend and Consolidate the Acts Respecting Copyright, 59th Cong., 1st Sess., June 69, 1906, p. 11. The statement is applicable to the 1909 Act since §§ 5(g) and (h) of the 1909 Act are identical with the same sections of S. 6330 and H.R. 19853. Although there were other hearings and reports (see 51 House Committee Hearings before Committee on Patents (19061912), on Consolidating and Revising the Copyright Laws; H.R.Rep.No.2222, 60th Cong., 2d Sess. 3), this statement of Mr. Putnam is the only explanation of the change in statutory language, though S.Rep.No. 6187, 59th Cong., 2d Sess., p. 11, refers to 'works of art' as a new designation and mentioned the deletion of 'fine' from the category.
See, Pogue, BorderlandWhere Copyright and Design Patent Meet, 52 Mich.L.Rev. 33, 58.
White-Smith Music Pub. Co. v. Apollo Co., 209 U.S. 1, 28 S.Ct. 319, 52 L.Ed. 655; Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., 188 U.S. 239, 249, 23 S.Ct. 298, 299, 47 L.Ed. 460; Arnstein v. Porter, 2 Cir., 154 F.2d 464, 468469; Alfred Bell & Co., Ltd. v. Catalda Fine Arts, Inc., 2 Cir., 191 F.2d 99, 103; Ansehl v. Puritan Pharmaceutical Co., supra; Christie v. Cohan, 2 Cir., 154 F.2d 827.
SONY CORPORATION OF AMERICA, et al., Petitioners v. UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS, INC., etc., et al.
HARPER & ROW, PUBLISHERS, INC. and the Reader's Digest Association, Inc., Petitioners v. NATION ENTERPRISES and the Nation Associates, Inc.
TELEPROMPTER CORPORATION et al., Petitioners, v. COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC., et al. COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC., et al., Petitioners, v. TELEPROMPTER CORPORATION et al.
NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the preliminary print of the United States Reports. Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D. C. 20543, of any typographical or other formal errors, in order that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press. NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY, INC., et al., PETITIONERS v. JONATHAN TASINI et al.
Marie DE SYLVA, Petitioner, v. Marie BALLENTINE, as Guardian of the Estate of Stephen William Ballentine.

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