United States Sixth Circuit

The Copyright Act may preempt claims over intangible ideas and tangible expressions even if ideas are not protected under the Act. However, the Act does not preempt state law implied-in-fact contract claim for a promise to pay for the use of the created work.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/06/2001
• Published 07/06/2001

Judges

• Before BATCHELDER and COLE, Circuit Judges;  GRAHAM, District Judge.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Jeffrey O. Birkhold (argued and briefed), Douglas A. Dozeman (briefed), Valerie P. Simmons (briefed), Warner, Norcross & Judd LLP, Grand Rapids, MI, for Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Randall G. Litton (argued and briefed), Price, Heneveld, Cooper, DeWitt & Litton, Grand Rapids, MI, Richard J. O'Brien (briefed), Paul E. Veith (briefed), Sidley & Austin, Chicago, IL, Arthur S. Friedman (briefed), Friedman, Wang & Bleiberg, PC, New York City, for Appellee.