For further reading on the exact limits of this doctrine, review the guidelines established by the U.S. Copyright Office or the detailed breakdown of the Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions on Useful Articles .
: The most famous recent Supreme Court interpretation regarding this doctrine is the 2017 case Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc. , which established a two-part test to determine whether artistic designs on cheerleading uniforms could be separated from the clothing itself and granted copyright protection. Breaking_Bad_S02E12_Phoenix_Bluray_1080p_AC3_IT...
What is a “Useful Article” in Copyright Law After Star Athletica? For further reading on the exact limits of
Were you looking for a specific , or did you want to dive deeper into how copyright law handles digital media ? What is a “Useful Article” in Copyright Law
: You can only copyright the artistic or aesthetic features of a useful article if they can be identified separately and exist independently from the functional aspects of the object. For instance, a plain lamp base cannot be copyrighted. However, if that lamp base is sculpted in the shape of a cat, the specific cat sculpture may be protected.