Legal Opinion
Ets-Hokin v. Skyy Spirits, Inc.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Decided August 18, 2000No. 98-17072PublishedCited by 108 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
Opinion by Judge McKEOWN; Dissent by Judge D.W. NELSON.
McKEOWN, Circuit Judge:
This case requires us to apply copyright principles to stylized photographs of a vodka bottle. Specifically, we must decide whether professional photographer Joshua Ets-Hokin’s commercial photographs, dubbed “product shots,” of the Skyy Spirits vodka bottle merit copyright protection. Given the Copyright Act’s low threshold for originality generally and the minimal amount of originality required to qualify a photograph in particular, we conclude that Ets-Hokin’s photographs are entitled to copyright protection.
We…
2Cases cited36 opinions
- Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1991
- Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1984
- United Drug Co. v. Theodore Rectanus Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1918
- United States v. WellsSupreme Court of the United States · 1997
- United States v. SteffensSupreme Court of the United States · 1879
31 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by108 opinions
- Ellison v. RobertsonCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2004
- Latimer v. Roaring Toyz, Inc.Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit · 2010
- Stephen L. Bucklew v. Hawkins, Ash, Baptie & Co., Llp, and Hab, Inc.Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit · 2003
- Jacobus Rentmeester v. Nike, Inc.Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2018
- Dream Games of Arizona, Inc. v. PC ONSITECourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2009
103 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.