Utwór i prawo autorskie
June 15th, 2009, Magdalena GadCo może być chronione jako utwór w amerykańskim prawie autorskim? W sprawie Tin Pan Apple v. Miller Brewing, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2178 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 23, 1994) Sędzia Charles S. Haight, Jr. stwierdził, że
Hugga-Hugga and Brrr sounds, used as lyrics in the copyrighted work, are sufficiently creative to warrant copyright protection (…) These sounds are more complex than the single drum beat (…) and in that complexity lies, arguably at least, the fruit of creativity.
Dla całej sprawy istotne znaczenie miał fakt, że w prawie amerykańskim kwestia oryginalności określonego utworu badana jest przez ławę przysięgłych.
When the originality of a copyrighted work is at issue, it becomes a question of fact for the jury to resolve. See the jury charge appearing in 3 Devitt, Blackmar and Wolff, Federal Jury Practice and Instructions (4th ed. 1987) at § 99.04, p. 808 (advising the jury in copyright actions that “[the] first disputed issue is originality,” and going on to define that concept). This fact question is withheld from the jury only if the accused infringer persuades the trial court that, as a matter of law, plaintiff’s work which defendant allegedly copied was not original and hence not protectible.