L. Batlin & Sons, Inc. v. Snyder

After the patent on the classic metal Uncle Sam mechanical bank expired, placing its design in the public domain, Jeffrey Snyder (defendant) contracted with a Hong Kong company to produce a smaller plastic version with minor changes - such as an eagle holding leaves instead of an arrow, changed because the arrow shape did not render clearly in plastic at the smaller scale - and obtained a copyright registration for his version. When L. Batlin & Sons, Inc. (Batlin) (plaintiff) tried to import competing Uncle Sam banks, Customs blocked the shipment based on Snyder's copyright, and Batlin sued for a declaration invalidating it; the district court granted Batlin a preliminary injunction, and Snyder appealed.