Rockford Map Publishers, Inc. v. Directory Service Co.

Rockford (plaintiff) created plat maps by tracing topographical data from aerial photographs, drawing in municipal boundaries, and researching each parcel's legal description in deed records to plot the metes and bounds of every lot. Directory (defendant) copied Rockford's maps as a starting template and made its own corrections. Rockford sued for copyright infringement, and the district court ruled for Rockford. Directory appealed, arguing the maps were not copyrightable because they merely depicted facts.