Fastcase seeks summary judgment in case over claimed copyright in Georgia regulations
Fastcase logo.
Legal publisher Fastcase Inc. has moved for summary judgment (PDF) in a federal case seeking a declaratory judgment that competitor Lawriter LLC has no copyright in the Georgia state regulations at issue.
Lawriter, which does business as Casemaker, has argued that Fastcase “improperly downloaded electronic files and data” from Casemaker, interfering with a contract between Lawriter and the Georgia secretary of state’s office. It says Casemaker is the sole authorized distributor of the Georgia Administrative Rules and Regulations in an electronic format.
However, Fastcase says in the motion there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact in the Atlanta case and argues in a supporting brief (PDF) that the bedrock principle of free public access to the law requires a ruling in favor of Fastcase.
“Free access to state law necessarily includes freedom to publish or republish, even by copying from the sole ‘authorized’ publisher,” the brief states.
Robert Ambrogi’s Law Sites provided copies of the pleadings.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Fastcase improperly used electronic files and data, Casemaker says in new copyright suit salvo”
