Lamps, Sculptures and the Concept of Separability

Too Long; Didn't Read

In the Stein v. Mazer case, Justice Douglas questions whether statuettes, like those of dancing figures, can be granted copyrights under the constitutional provision allowing Congress to protect "authors" and their "writings." He suggests that the constitutional range of the term "writings" in the context of art needs further exploration. While many artistic articles have been copyrighted, Justice Douglas proposes a reexamination of whether they truly qualify as "writings" under the Constitution.