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Wheaton v. Peters

United States Supreme Court

33 U.S. (8 Pet.) 591 (1834)

Facts

Henry Wheaton (plaintiff) was the reporter of United States Supreme Court decisions from 1816 to 1827. It was intended that Wheaton would derive income from the publication of reports including the text of the justices’ opinions, arguments made by lawyers before the court, annotations, and indexes. These publications were made. Wheaton’s successor, Richard Peters, Jr. (defendant), later published not only his own reports but also cheaper copies of Wheaton’s reports. Wheaton brought suit for copyright infringement under both common law and the federal Copyright Act. The lower federal court dismissed the complaint. Wheaton appealed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (McLean, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
A summary of the majority or plurality opinion, using the CREAC method; and
The procedural disposition (e.g., reversed and remanded, affirmed, etc.).

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