Thompson v. Hubbard

Thompson v. Hubbard, 131 U.S. 123 (1889), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that a later owner of a copyright is entitled to sue a previous owner for copyright infringement. However, the later owner's failure to observe formalities voids copyright and a nonexistent copyright cannot be infringed.

Thompson v. Hubbard
Supreme Court of the United States
Submitted April 17, 1889 Decided May 13, 1889
Full case name	Thompson v. Hubbard
Citations	131 U.S. 123 (more) 9 S. Ct. 710; 33 L. Ed. 76
Holding
A later owner of a copyright is entitled to sue a previous owner for copyright infringement. However, the later owner's failure to observe formalities voids copyright and a nonexistent copyright cannot be infringed.
Court membership
Chief Justice Melville Fuller Associate Justices Samuel F. Miller · Stephen J. Field Joseph P. Bradley · John M. Harlan Horace Gray · Samuel Blatchford Lucius Q. C. Lamar II
Case opinion
Majority	Blatchford, joined by unanimous

External links

• Text of Thompson v. Hubbard, 131 U.S. 123 (1889) is available from: Cornell CourtListener Justia Library of Congress