New Copyright Lawsuit against West

From: Alan Sugarman <sugarman[_at_]panix.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 1994 20:01:01 -0500 (EST)

FOR RELEASE IMMEDIATELY
HYPERLAW, INC. HYPERLAW, INC. ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF COPYRIGHT DECLARATORY JUDGMENT ACTION BROUGHT BY MATTHEW BENDER AGAINST WEST PUBLISHING February 3, 1994, New York - HyperLaw, Inc., electronic publisher of FEDERAL APPEALS ON DISC tm and UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT ON DISC tm CD-ROMs announced today that it intends to intervene in the declaratory judgment action against West Publishing Company filed by Matthew Bender in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, February 1, 1994.

Matthew Bender is seeking a declaratory judgment as to the validity of the copyrights West claims in the pagination of its reporters of legal decisions.

The case has been assigned to Judge Loretta Preska, who was appointed in 1992. The case number is 94-CIV-0589. Matthew Bender is represented by David Blasband of New York's Deutsch, Klagsbrun & Blasband, 212-758-1100. The telephone number of the public information department at Matthew Bender & Company is 212-216-8024.

Alan D. Sugarman, President of HyperLaw, explained that HyperLaw wishes to have certain issues determined separately, and has previously attempted to obtain from West a clarification of its sweeping copyright claims of public records after the Feist decision. Sugarman said "We do not want the water to be muddied by side issues such as allegations of wholesale copying of West reporters, issues of how West selects cases to print, or by any counter-claims that West might bring."

HyperLaw says it also seeks to assure that the federal courts avoid any appearance of impropriety. West provides a $15,000 award to a federal judge every year. Even though other judges select the winner, West operates the award project out of its public relations department and collects recommendations for the award. "As the award is set up and operated, it does not present a good image for a sitting judge considering a case this important to West to be even technically eligible for such a cash award."

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For HyperLaw product information, contact HyperLaw, Inc., P.O. Box 1176, New York, NY 10023; Information 212-787- 2812; 800-825-6521; Facsimile 212-496-4138

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For information concerning this release, contact: Alan D. Sugarman
212-873-1371
Internet sugarman[_at_]panix.com, Compuserve 70461,2251. releasefeb03994 Received on Sat Feb 05 1994 - 01:03:51 GMT