Missouri
How Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co., Inc. applies in Missouri: state-specific rules, key cases, and bar exam notes for Copyright.
Missouri adheres to the principles established in Feist regarding originality in copyright law. The state emphasizes the requirement for a minimal level of creativity in order for a work to qualify for copyright protection.
In Missouri, the rule derived from Feist is that copyrights do not protect mere facts or data, but rather the creative expression of such facts or data.
The court ruled that collection of publicly available data does not constitute original work and therefore is not eligible for copyright protection.
The court held that a compilation of facts must have an original selection or arrangement to be copyrighted, aligning with the Feist precedent.
The court reaffirmed that simple factual compilations do not meet the originality threshold required for copyright under both federal and state law.
Missouri's approach closely aligns with federal copyright standards as set forth in Feist. Both systems stress originality as a threshold for copyright eligibility, excluding mere facts from protection.
Understanding the application of the Feist decision is crucial for the Missouri bar exam, particularly in questions concerning copyright eligibility and originality.