Fascinating fair use issue. Although requesting a copy of a filed legal
brief is usually a classic case of fair use, commercial distribution of
those briefs in electronic form is less clear. I guess I'd like to know
more about the CDs before I weigh in one way or the other.
Christopher Pesce
chrisp[_at_]continuum.com
> From: cni-copyright
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Legal briefs, pleadings and Memoranda.
> Date: Thursday, November 10, 1994 8:56PM
>
>
> I have seen several CD-ROMs published containing legal briefs filed in
> court by both sides of a law suit. Usually these briefs are obtained
> from the court in question (after paying a small fee) and are treated
> as documents available to the public.
>
> Are the briefs and other pleadings so obtained in the public domain
> so far as copyright law is concerned, or are the CDROM publishers
> infringing upon hte author's (attorney's) copyright if they have not
> obtained permission to republish these briefs, notwithstanding their
> ready availability from the court in question?
>
> Sincerely,
> Henry Manaster
> <manaster[_at_]yu1.yu.edu>
Received on Fri Nov 11 1994 - 17:56:21 GMT