Copyright protection for the artfully sweaty: Feist Publications,Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co., Inc.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1991 decision in the Feist case wiped away the idea that “sweat of the brow” is adequate for a copyright claim. The history of the relevant issues is discussed and the Court’s decision is examined. The decision has a number of implications for publishers but leaves many questions unanswered.