North Carolina
How Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co. applies in North Carolina: state-specific rules, key cases, and bar exam notes for Copyright.
North Carolina law follows the precedent set by the Feist decision and emphasizes the necessity of originality in copyright claims. North Carolina courts apply the same standard of creativity in determining the protection of compilations and facts.
In North Carolina, the compilation of facts or data lacks copyright protection unless there is an element of originality or creativity in its arrangement or presentation, consistent with the Feist ruling.
The court held that a database could not be copyrighted merely by virtue of its compilation; there must be an original arrangement or creative input.
The court determined that protection did not extend to a mere selection of facts and that originality was required for copyrightability.
The court reiterated that the originality requirement must be satisfied, aligning with Feist’s definitions.
North Carolina's approach closely mirrors federal copyright law as articulated in the Feist decision. Similar to the federal standard, North Carolina requires that a work demonstrate originality to qualify for copyright protection, particularly with compilations and factual databases.
Understanding the implications of Feist on copyright protection is crucial for the North Carolina bar exam, especially in questions relating to compilations and originality standards.