CCC Information Services, Inc. v. Maclean Hunter Market Reports, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
44 F.3d 61 (2d Cir. 1994)
Maclean Hunter (defendant) published the Red Book, a used-car valuation guide predicting future vehicle prices using editors' independent judgment weighing factors like model year, mileage, and location; CCC Information Services (plaintiff) copied Red Book data (along with a similar competing publication) into its own valuation database and sued for a declaration it hadn't infringed Maclean's copyright, while Maclean counterclaimed for infringement. The district court granted CCC summary judgment, finding no valid copyright, and Maclean appealed.
Whether a compilation predicting future prices through the compiler's independent, creative judgment about relevant factors possesses sufficient originality to receive copyright protection, as distinguished from a mere factual listing.