FAULKNER v. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A publisher created a digital CD-ROM archive of its past magazines. Freelance contributors sued for copyright infringement. The court found the digital archive was a permissible “revision” of the original collective works under the Copyright Act, not an infringement.
Legal Significance: This case clarifies that a digital replica of a print collective work, even with new software features, can qualify as a privileged “revision” under § 201(c) of the Copyright Act, protecting publishers who create digital archives.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Plaintiffs, freelance writers and photographers, had their works published in the print version of the National Geographic Magazine. Defendant National Geographic Society (NGS), which owned the copyrights in the collective works (the individual magazine issues), created “The Complete National Geographic” (CNG), a digital archive on CD-ROM and DVD. The CNG contained high-resolution digital scans of every page from over 100 years of the magazine, presenting each page exactly as it appeared in the original print version, including all text, images, advertisements, and layout. In addition to these exact replicas, the CNG included new, independently copyrightable elements: a software program for viewing and navigating the collection, a search engine, and a brief introductory multimedia sequence. The plaintiffs sued NGS and its partners for copyright infringement, arguing that the creation and sale of the CNG exceeded the publication rights they had granted and was not privileged under the Copyright Act.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the creation of a digital archive containing exact replicas of print magazine issues, but adding new software features like a search engine and an introductory sequence, constitute a privileged ‘revision’ of the original collective work under § 201(c) of the Copyright Act?
Yes. The court held that the CNG is a privileged “revision” of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui off
IRAC Legal Analysis
About IRAC analysis
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the structure professors expect in exam answers. Each LSD.Law brief states the issue, the governing rule with citations, the court's application of that rule, and the conclusion - the same reasoning pattern you will use on exams and in practice.
Legal Issue
Does the creation of a digital archive containing exact replicas of print magazine issues, but adding new software features like a search engine and an introductory sequence, constitute a privileged ‘revision’ of the original collective work under § 201(c) of the Copyright Act?
Conclusion
This decision provides significant protection for publishers creating digital archives of their Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
Legal Rule
Under § 201(c) of the Copyright Act, the owner of a copyright Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qu
Legal Analysis
The court first declined to apply collateral estoppel based on a prior, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Issue: Does a digital archive of a magazine, which includes new