Question Presented (AI Summary)
Whether the government edicts doctrine extends to—and thus renders uncopyrightable—works that lack the force of law, such as the annotations in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated
Question Presented (OCR Extract)
QUESTION PRESENTED This Court has held, as a matter of “public policy,” that judicial opinions are not copyrightable. Banks v. Manchester, 128 U.S. 244, 253-254 (1888). Lower courts have extended that holding to state statutes. See, e.g., John G. Danielson, Inc. v. Winchester-Conant Props., Inc., 322 F.3d 26, 38 (1st Cir. 2003). But the rule that “government edicts” cannot be copyrighted has “proven difficult to apply when the material in question does not fall neatly into the categories of statutes or judicial opinions.” Ibid. The question presented is: Whether the government edicts doctrine extends to—and thus renders that lack the force of law, such as the annotations in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. (D
Docket Entries
2020-05-29
JUDGMENT ISSUED.
2020-04-27
Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Roberts, C. J., delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-1150_new_d18e.pdf'>opinion</a> of the Court, in which Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Alito, J., joined, and in which Breyer, J., joined as to all but Part II–A and footnote 6. Ginsburg, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Breyer, J., joined.
2019-12-02
Argued. For petitioners: Joshua S. Johnson, Washington, D. C.; and Anthony A. Yang, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondent: Eric F. Citron, Bethesda, Md.
2019-11-08
Reply of petitioners State of Georgia, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2019-11-04
Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
2019-10-23
Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 11th Circuit.
2019-10-16
Brief amicus curiae of American Intellectual Property Association filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of The Center for Democracy and Technology and Cato Institute filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Current and Former Government Officials filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of American Library Association, et al. filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Professor Shyamkrishna Balganesh and Professor Peter S. Menell filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of 39 Law Students, 24 Solo and Small-Firm Practitioners of Law, and 38 Legal Educators filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of 116 Law Librarians and 5 Law Library Organizations filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Next-Generation Legal Research Platforms and Databases filed.
2019-10-16
Corrected Certificate of Word Count with respect to amici brief of Next-Generation Legal Research Platforms and Databases filed. (Oct 23, 2019).
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press & 25 Media Organizations filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of The American Civil Liberties Union, et al. filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Brendan Keefe, in His Official Capacity as Chief Investigative Reporter for 11Alive Atlanta, and WXIA-TV filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and Human Rights Defense Center filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Electronic Privacy Information Center, et al. filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Print Disability Advocates filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amici curiae of Law Professors Nina Mendelson, et al. filed.
2019-10-16
Brief amicus curiae of Caselaw Access Project filed.
2019-10-15
Brief amicus curiae of Internet Association filed.
2019-10-15
Brief amici curiae of 36 Computational Law Scholars filed.
2019-10-11
Brief amici curiae of The R Street Institute, the Wikimedia Foundation, and Public Knowledge filed.
2019-10-11
Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
2019-10-09
Brief of respondent Public.Resource.Org, Inc. filed.
2019-09-13
SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, December 2, 2019.
2019-08-30
Brief amicus curiae of The Copyright Alliance filed.
2019-08-30
Brief amicus curiae of Matthew Bender & Co., Inc. filed.
2019-08-30
Brief amici curiae of International Code Council, Inc. and American Gas Association filed.
2019-08-30
Brief amici curiae of Arkansas, et al. filed.
2019-08-30
Brief amicus curiae of The Software & Information Industry Association filed.
2019-08-30
Brief amici curiae of American Society For Testing And Materials, et al. in support of neither party filed.
2019-08-30
Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
2019-08-29
Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Home Builders in support of neither party filed.
2019-08-23
Brief of petitioners State of Georgia, et al. filed.
2019-08-23
Joint appendix (3 Volumes) filed. (Statement of costs filed)
2019-07-09
Joint motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioners' brief on the merits is extended to and including August 23, 2019. The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including October 9, 2019.
2019-07-02
Joint motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
2019-06-24
Petition GRANTED.
2019-06-17
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/20/2019.
2019-05-28
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/13/2019.
2019-05-24
Reply of petitioners State of Georgia, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2019-05-10
Brief amici curiae of 119 Law Students, et al. filed.
2019-05-10
Brief of respondent Public.Resource.Org, Inc. in opposition filed.
2019-05-09
Brief amici curiae of Next-Generation Legal Research Platforms and Databases and Digital Accessibility Advocate in support of respondent filed.
2019-05-06
Brief amici curiae of R Street Institute, et al. in support of respondent filed.
2019-05-01
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including May 10, 2019.
2019-05-01
Motion to extend the time to file a response from May 3, 2019 to May 10, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
2019-04-04
Brief amicus curiae of Matthew Bender & Co., Inc. filed.
2019-04-04
Brief amici curiae of Arkansas, et al. filed.
2019-04-04
Brief amicus curiae of The Software & Information Industry Association filed.
2019-03-27
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including May 3, 2019.
2019-03-22
Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 4, 2019 to May 3, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
2019-03-01
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 4, 2019)
2018-12-20
Application (18A598) granted by Justice Thomas extending the time to file until March 4, 2019.
2018-12-07
Application (18A598) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from January 17, 2019 to March 4, 2019, submitted to Justice Thomas.
Attorneys
116 Law Librarians and 5 Law Library Organizations
36 Computational Law Scholars
39 Law Students, 24 Solo and Small-Firm Practitioners of Law, and 38 Legal Educators
American Intellectual Property Association
American Library Association, et al.
American Society For Testing And Materials, et al.
Brendan Keefe, in His Official Capacity as Chief Investigative Reporter for 11Alive Atlanta, and WXIA-TV
Current and Former Government Officials
Electronic Privacy Information Center, et al.
International Code Council, Inc.; American Gas Association
Law Professors Nina Mendelson, et al.
Matthew Bender & Co., Inc.
National Association of Home Builders
Next-Generation Legal Research Platforms and Databases and Digital Accessibility Advocate
Print Disability Advocates
Professor Shyamkrishna Balganesh and Professor Peter S. Menell
Public.Resource.Org, Inc.
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press & 25 Media Organizations
Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and Human Rights Defense Center
The American Civil Liberties Union, et al.
The Center for Democracy and Technology and Cato Institute
The R Street Institute, the Wikimedia Foundation, and Public Knowledge
The Software & Information Industry Association