Judge rules in favor of Camp in copyright suit

Gulfstream Aerospace’s maintenance manuals are not protected by copyright law, according to a September 27 decision by Savannah, Ga.

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

November 8, 2006

Gulfstream Aerospace’s maintenance manuals are not protected by copyright law, according to a September 27 decision by Savannah, Ga. U.S. District Court judge Avant Edenfield. Gulfstream had filed a petition for reconsideration after losing an earlier lawsuit against Camp Systems International, in which Gulfstream claimed that Camp was infringing on Gulfstream copyrights and trademarks. Gulfstream’s lawsuit asked for an injunction to halt Camp from using Gulfstream maintenance manuals in Camp’s maintenance-tracking service. Judge Edenfield ruled against Gulfstream on April 18, and Gulfstream submitted its request for reconsideration in June.

While the judge rejected Gulfstream’s petition for reconsideration of the original claims, Edenfield left open a window for Gulfstream to submit an immediate appeal of the final decision. “The court’s fair-use ruling is a reasonably close call,” the judge wrote in his decision, “and its outcome on appeal will substantially affect the remaining claims and counterclaims in this case. The ruling also turns on important policy considerations in the field of copyright… [and] an immediate appeal…may materially advance the ultimate termination of [this] litigation…”

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