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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Sears–Compco doctrine
Read a random definition: Department of Homeland Security
A quick definition of Sears–Compco doctrine:
The Sears-Compco doctrine is a rule that says when Congress makes laws about copyrights, trademarks, and patents, those laws are more important than state laws that protect information that isn't covered by those federal laws. This means that sometimes, states can't make their own laws to protect certain kinds of information because Congress has already made a decision about how that information should be protected. The reason for this rule is that Congress thinks it's more important for people to be able to access information than for companies to make money by keeping that information secret.
A more thorough explanation:
The Sears-Compco Doctrine is a principle that states that Congress has preempted some state-law protection of information that is not protected by copyright, trademark, and patent laws. This means that if a state law conflicts with federal copyright, trademark, or patent laws, the federal law takes precedence.
For example, in the case of Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Stiffel Co., the Supreme Court ruled that a state law that protected a particular type of lamp design was preempted by federal copyright law. Similarly, in Compco Corp. v. Day-Brite Lighting, Inc., the Court ruled that a state law that protected a particular type of lighting fixture was preempted by federal patent law.
These cases illustrate how the Sears-Compco Doctrine limits the ability of states to protect intellectual property that is not covered by federal copyright, trademark, or patent laws. The doctrine reflects a policy decision that public access to information is more important than private economic incentives to collect and disseminate misappropriation.