Georgia v. Public Resource.Org
In brief
The Supreme Court upheld the Eleventh Circuit's ruling (affirmed): the OCGA annotations cannot receive copyright protection.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 5-4 · April 27, 2020 · Opinion by Chief Justice Roberts
- What it’s about
- This case determines whether the annotations in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated are eligible for copyright protection.
- Who it affects
- The ruling leaves the OCGA annotations outside copyright protection. Georgia cannot claim copyright protection for those annotations.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court held that under the government edicts doctrine, these annotations are not copyrightable because they are created by legislators in the course of their official duties.
The case tests the government edicts doctrine, a rule excluding certain official legislative materials from copyright protection.
Question presented
Whether the annotations in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated are eligible for copyright protection.
What the Court decided
Holding
The OCGA annotations are ineligible for copyright protection. 906 F. 3d 1229, affirmed.
- Result
- Affirmed
The vote
From the opinions
“The core question this case presents, as I see it: Are the annotations in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) done in a legislative capacity?”
What's next
The Supreme Court's review is complete. The Eleventh Circuit's ruling remains in place.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Opinion added: opinion
Brief added: Petition
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Court Order added: Lower Court Orders/Opinions
Brief added: Questions Presented
More questions
- What did the Supreme Court decide in Georgia v. Public Resource.Org?
- It upheld the Eleventh Circuit's ruling (affirmed) and decided that the OCGA annotations are not eligible for copyright protection.
- How did the government edicts doctrine affect the OCGA annotations?
- The Court applied the government edicts doctrine, a rule excluding certain official materials from copyright, because legislators created the annotations during official duties.
- Did Georgia retain copyright protection for the OCGA annotations?
- No. The ruling leaves those annotations outside copyright protection.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.