Joan F. Lane, D/B/A Lane & Co. v. The First National Bank of Boston

SELYA, Circuit Judge.

This appeal presents, face up and squarely, the vexing question of whether the Eleventh Amendment provides shelter to States in actions brought pursuant to the Copyright Act of 1976, as amended, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101-810. (1982). For the reasons set forth herein, we conclude that it does.

I

Plaintiff-appellant Joan F. Lane brought suit in the federal district court against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and divers others, 1 charging copyright infringement. The Commonwealth, she said, had infringed on her copyrights in certain compilations of financial data. Plaintiff sought…