WASHINGTON, March 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to look once again at whether federal copyright law allows the courts wide review of copyright infringement issues.
In the case granted by the court, a lower court had voided an $18 million settlement nationwide of claims made by free-lance authors and photographers whose articles or photographs were available free in publisher's databases, SCOTUSblog.com reported.
A federal judge approved the settlement but an appeals court in New York ruled that federal law limits copyright suits to those who have actually registered their works -- something free-lance writers seldom do.
A publishers group then asked the Supreme Court for review, saying the appeals court ruling violated the Supreme Court precedent set in 2001's New York Times et al vs. Tasini et al.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on the question: "Does 17 USC 411 (the copyright statute) restrict the subject matter jurisdiction of the federal courts over copyright infringement actions?"
The case should be heard early next fall.
(Reed Elvesier, et al v. Muchnick et al, No. 08-203)
