Darden filed an application with the Copyright Office seeking to register his website, which he titled APPRAISERSdotCOM. He described his website as a derivative work based on “U.S. Census black and white outline maps” and “clip art.” Darden’s application also identified “graphics, text, colors, and arrangement” as the material that he added to the preexisting work and for which he claimed copyright protection. Additionally, Darden filed a separate application for registration of the work “Maps for APPRAISERSdotCOM.

Darden described his “maps” work as a derivative work that, similar to the APPRAISERSdotCOM work, was based on preexisting U.S. Census black-and-white outline maps.

CASE QUESTIONS

1. Determine whether Darden’s compilation is protectable using the Feist doctrine.

2. Does Darden’s work contain the necessary elements for copyright protection? Discuss.