konstan@elmer-fudd.berkeley.edu (Joe Konstan) (03/29/91)
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that phone book listings are not creative works and that the factual contents are not protected by copyright. Specifically, anyone else can reproduce the alphabetical listing right from the phone book! Copyright lawyers expect that the decision will apply to all compilations of facts -- the facts themselves can be freely reprinted but a creative compilation may be copyrighted. The court held that alphabetical order is not a creative compilation. Joe Konstan