Legal Opinion
Lotus Development Corp. v. Paperback Software International
District Court, D. Massachusetts
Decided June 28, 1990No. Civ. A. 87-76-KPublishedCited by 46 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
KEETON, District Judge.
The expression of an idea is copyrightable. The idea itself is not. When applying these two settled rules of law, how can a decisionmaker distinguish between an idea and its expression?
Answering this riddle is the first step— but only the first — toward disposition of this case in which the court must decide, among other issues, (1) whether and to what extent plaintiff’s computer spreadsheet program, Lotus 1-2-3, is copyrightable, (2) whether defendants’ YP-Planner was, on undisputable facts, an infringing work containing elements substantially similar to copyrightable…
2Cases cited80 opinions
- Blue Chip Stamps v. Manor Drug StoresSupreme Court of the United States · 1975
- Lockhart v. McCreeSupreme Court of the United States · 1986
- Kelly v. RobinsonSupreme Court of the United States · 1986
- Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. v. Nation EnterprisesSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
- Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1984
75 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by46 opinions
- A.C. Aukerman Company v. R.L. Chaides Construction Co.Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit · 1992
- Computer Associates International, Inc., Plaintiff-Appellant-Cross-Appellee v. Altai, Inc., Defendant-Appellee-Cross-AppellantCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 1992
- The Gates Rubber Co. v. Bando Chemical Industries, Ltd.Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · 1993
- Lotus Development Corporation v. Borland International, Inc.Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1995
- Engineering Dynamics, Inc., Plaintiff-Appellant-Cross-Appellee v. Structural Software, Inc., and S. Rao Guntur, Defendants-Appellees-Cross-AppellantsCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 1994
41 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.