Georgia
How Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co. applies in Georgia: state-specific rules, key cases, and bar exam notes for Copyright.
Georgia courts have historically adopted the principles from Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., emphasizing that copyright protects originality rather than artistic merit. The state generally respects the fundamental tenets of copyright law as established by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Under Georgia law, as under federal law, copyright protection extends to original works of authorship, including artistic works that possess some minimal degree of creativity.
The court held that the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted music constituted a violation, reinforcing the principles of copyright protection similar to those in Bleistein.
In this case, the court ruled that digital works could be protected under copyright as long as they met the originality standard outlined in Bleistein.
The ruling clarified that software code could qualify for copyright protection, underscoring the importance of originality in Georgia’s copyright law.
Georgia's approach aligns closely with federal copyright law, following the same principles of originality and creativity established in Bleistein. Both federal and state courts recognize that the threshold for originality is not high, fostering a broad protection for creative outputs.
Questions related to copyright and the principles set forth in Bleistein may appear on the Georgia bar exam, particularly in the context of originality and infringement.