'Georgia v. Public Resource.Org'

摘要

1. Non-binding, explanatory legal materials are not copyrightable when created by judges who possess the authority to make and interpret the law (Banks v. Manchester, 128 U.S. 244 (1888)). The same logic applies to non-binding, explanatory legal materials created by a legislative body vested with the authority to make law. If annotations to the law or certain statutes are authored by an arm of the legislature in the course of its legislative duties, the government edicts doctrine puts them outside the reach of copyright protection. 2. Instead of examining whether given material carries "the force of law," it is only relevant whether the author of the work is a judge or a legislator. If so, then whatever work that judge or legislator produces in the course of his judicial or legislative duties is not copyrightable.