Thompson v. Hubbard

Thompson v. Hubbard, 131 U.S. 123 (1889), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held A later owner of a copyright is entitled to sue a previous owner for copyright infringement. However, the later owner's failure to observe formalities voids copyright and a nonexistent copyright cannot be infringed.[1]

Thompson v. Hubbard
Supreme Court of the United States
Submitted April 17, 1889 Decided May 13, 1889
Full case name	Thompson v. Hubbard
Citations	131 U.S. 123 (more) 9 S. Ct. 710; 33 L. Ed. 76
Holding
A later owner of a copyright is entitled to sue a previous owner for copyright infringement. However, the later owner's failure to observe formalities voids copyright and a nonexistent copyright cannot be infringed.
Court membership
Chief Justice Melville Fuller Associate Justices Samuel F. Miller · Stephen J. Field Joseph P. Bradley · John M. Harlan Horace Gray · Samuel Blatchford Lucius Q. C. Lamar II
Case opinion
Majority	Blatchford, joined by unanimous