Are facts protected by copyright?

Generally, facts are not protected by copyright law. Copyright is a form of legal protection that applies to a specific form of expression (such as writing, art, music, etc.) but does not protect facts. This is because facts are not considered to be "original works of authorship," which is one of the core components of copyright law. However, while facts are not protected by copyright, they may be protected by other forms of intellectual property law such as trade secret law or trademark law. In North Carolina, copyright is governed by the United States Copyright Act, as well as state law. The US Copyright Act outlines that facts cannot be protected by copyright, but it does not explicitly address the issue of whether facts may be protected by other legal mechanisms. However, North Carolina law may address this issue. For example, North Carolina has enacted a trade secret statute which prohibits the misappropriation of information that derives economic value from not being generally known. Thus, it is possible that facts may be protected by trade secret law in North Carolina. In conclusion, facts are generally not protected by copyright, but they may be protected by other forms of intellectual property law. North Carolina law may address the issue of whether facts can be protected by alternate legal mechanisms.

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