Virginia
How Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co. applies in Virginia: state-specific rules, key cases, and bar exam notes for Copyright.
Virginia adheres closely to the federal copyright standards established in Feist, particularly regarding the originality requirement for copyright protection. The state reinforces that factual compilations, such as telephone directories, do not achieve the requisite level of creativity to warrant copyright protection.
In Virginia, like federal law, mere collections of facts or data do not qualify for copyright protection unless they exhibit originality—something beyond mere organization or presentation of the information.
The court ruled that the compilation of public transit schedules lacked originality necessary for copyright protection.
The court determined that facts do not have copyright protection even if presented in a specific format.
The court affirmed that newspapers' published information on public records did not receive copyright protection under Virginia law.
Virginia's approach mirrors federal law, emphasizing that copyright protection is reserved for original works and not for mere compilations of facts, as affirmed in Feist. Both Virginia and federal interpretations assess the level of creativity in works as a determinant for copyright eligibility.
Copyright principles from Feist are relevant in Virginia's bar exam, especially regarding the originality and protectability of compilations of facts and data.