Tabberone is pronounced tab ber won not tay ber own

Tabbers Temptations     www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/ Home | Site Index | Disclaimer | Email Me! "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke

This information is taken directly from the court opinion. It is not taken out of context nor is it altered.

Baker v Selden, 101 US 99 (1879) Charles Selden, the Plaintiff, in 1859 registered a copyright of a book, entitled 'Selden's Condensed Ledger, or Book-keeping Simplified,' the object of which was to exhibit and explain a peculiar system of book-keeping. Baker was alleged to have infringed these copyrights. Baker, in his answer, denied that Selden was the author or designer of the books, and denied the infringement and contended on the argument that the matter alleged to be infringed is not a lawful subject of copyright. The lower court ruled for Baker and Selden appealed. Selden principally argued that Baker used the same system as that which was explained and illustrated in Selden's books. The Supreme Court felt the important issue was whether, in obtaining the copyright of his books, Selden secured the exclusive right to the use of the system or method of book-keeping which his books intended to illustrate and explain. Selden argued he had secured such exclusive right, because no one can use the system without using substantially the same ruled lines and headings which he was appended to his books in illustration of it. In other words, it argued that the ruled lines and headings, given to illustrate the system, are a part of the book, and, as such, are secured by the copyright; and that no one can make or use similar ruled lines and headings, or ruled lines and headings made and arranged on substantially the same system, without violating the copyright. And this is really the question to be decided in this case. Stated in another form, the question is, whether the exclusive property in a system of book-keeping can be claimed, under the law or copyright, by means of a book in which that system is explained? The Supreme Court ruled against Selden. The decree of the Circuit Court must be reversed, and the cause remanded with instructions to dismiss the complainant's bill; and it is so ordered.