Program in Public Law

Dastar v. Twentieth Century Fox Film

News and Commentary

• Carrie Seim, Dastar Corp. v. 20th Century Fox Film, et al., On the Docket
  (last modified June 4, 2003)(significant background, explanation of holding).
• Gina Holland, Supreme Court Takes on Copyright Case, Associated Press, (April 2, 2003) (oral argument).
• Jeanne Hamburg, Trademark law and the ‘bodily appropriation’ of a creative work, 3/19/2003 N.Y.L.J. 4, (col. 4)(background on circuit split; analysis of relationship between trademark and copyright law).
• Drew Clark, Intellectual Property: Trademark Case Could Impact Database Protection Debate, National Journal’s Technology Daily (March 21, 2003)(potential impact of case on material in public domain).
• Supreme Court agrees to decide whether distributor of video of public domain television series may be held liable for double its profits for “reverse passing off,” because it failed to credit Twentieth Century Fox as series’ creator or indicate that video was based on President Eisenhower’s book “Crusade in Europe,” 24 No. 9 Ent. L. Rep. 13 (2003)(background on case).
• Gina Holland, 20th Century Fox Loses Video Game Case, Associated Press, (June 2, 2003)(explanation of decision).
• Tony Mauro, High Court Hands Fox Copyright Defeat, Legal Times at (June 3, 2003)(reports on decision, including potential consequences).
• Linda Greenhouse, Justices Reject Using Trademark Law in Case About Old War Footage, New York Times, (June 3, 2003)(analysis of decision).
• Colby B. Springer, Redefining the Balance Between Trademark and Copyright Law A Recently Argued Case Asks the Supreme Court to Decide, FindLaw’s Corporate Counsel Center (April 8, 2003)(commentary arguing against expansion of copyrights).
• David G. Savage, Justices Fine-Tune Coverage of Trademark Act, Los Angeles Times, (free registration required for access)(June 3, 2003)(California angle; background on Court’s recent trademark decisions).
• Nina Totenberg, High Court Ruling Clarifies Trademark Rules on Video, National Public Radio, (link to audio of radio broadcast)(June 2, 2003).

Court documents

• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision (unpublished): http://journalism.medill.northwestern.edu/docket/02-0428appct.html
• The Supreme Court’s decision: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/02-428.pdf
• Solicitor General’s brief for the United States in support of Dastar: http://www.usdoj.gov/osg/briefs/2002/3mer/1ami/2002-0428.mer.ami.pdf
• International Trademark Association brief in support of neither party: http://www.inta.org/downloads/brief_Dastar.pdf
• American Library Association, etc. brief in support of Dastar: http://www.arl.org/info/frn/copy/Dastarbrief.pdf
• Links to the other amicus briefs can be found at: http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/docket/2002/april.html

Certiorari Grant

Edited Case