Wisconsin
How Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co. applies in Wisconsin: state-specific rules, key cases, and bar exam notes for Intellectual Property.
Wisconsin law closely aligns with the principles established in Feist, particularly in reinforcing the requirement of originality for copyright protection. The state recognizes that mere compilation of facts does not warrant copyright unless there is a demonstrated creative expression involved.
Wisconsin courts require that a work possess some degree of creativity or originality in its arrangement or presentation to qualify for copyright, following the precedent set in Feist.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the arrangement and selection of data in a directory required originality to merit copyright.
The court ruled that broad compilations of facts without creative input are not protected under Wisconsin copyright law.
The court reiterated that copyright does not extend to facts themselves, but only to the original expression of those facts.
Wisconsin's approach mirrors the federal standard established by Feist, reinforcing the originality requirement for copyright protection. However, Wisconsin courts may place additional emphasis on the specific creativity or selection process beyond mere mechanical collections of data.
Questions related to copyright law, particularly concerning originality and the nature of compilations, may arise in the Wisconsin bar exam, making familiarity with Feist essential.