Higgins v. Keuffel

Higgins v. Keuffel, 140 U.S. 428 (1891), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held a label describing the contents of a container is not subject to copyright.^[1]

Full case nameHiggins v. Keuffel

Citations140 U.S. 428 (more)

11 S. Ct. 731; 35 L. Ed. 470

MajorityField, joined by unanimous

Quick facts Argued April 7–8, 1891 Decided May 11, 1891, Full case name ...

Higgins v. Keuffel
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued April 7–8, 1891 Decided May 11, 1891
Full case name	Higgins v. Keuffel
Citations	140 U.S. 428 (more) 11 S. Ct. 731; 35 L. Ed. 470
Holding
A label describing the contents of a container is not subject to copyright.
Court membership
Chief Justice Melville Fuller Associate Justices Stephen J. Field Â· Joseph P. Bradley John M. Harlan Â· Horace Gray Samuel Blatchford Â· Lucius Q. C. Lamar II David J. Brewer Â· Henry B. Brown
Case opinion
Majority	Field, joined by unanimous

Close

The case has been read narrowly since it was decided. It applies to labels with "no artistic excellence."^[2]