Feist Publications v. Rural Tel. Service (case)

Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service is a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court case from 1991 that addressed copyright law. Rural Telephone created a telephone directory, and Feist copied the names and numbers without permission. The Court ruled that facts, like names and phone numbers, cannot be copyrighted, as they are free for anyone to use. However, the creative arrangement and presentation of those facts could be copyrighted. This case clarified the limits of copyright protection, emphasizing that while individual facts are not protectable, creative expressions of those facts can be.