De Minimis Copying: An Empirical Study

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Jessica Silbey, Boston University School of Law; Samantha Zyontz, Boston University Questrom School of Business

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
DeMin Clean Database v20250109_withdummies.xlsx application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 43.4 KB 06/04/2026 09:35:AM
Descriptions of Variables for DeMin Clean Database v20250109.xlsx application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 107 KB 06/04/2026 09:12:AM

Project Citation: 

Silbey, Jessica, and Zyontz, Samantha. De Minimis Copying: An Empirical Study. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2026-06-04. https://doi.org/10.3886/E249258V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary An author collected and coded database of US legal decisions involving de minimis copyright claims.  This is the supporting data for the analyses in Jessica Silbey and Samantha Zyontz, "De Minimis Copying: An Empirical Study," 15 N.Y.U. J. INTELL. PROP. & ENT. L. 1 (2025) available open source at: https://jipel.law.nyu.edu/de-minimis-copying-an-empirical-study/

The file DeMin Clean Database v20250109_withdummies.xlsx contains 178 decisions and the author coded variables for the study.

The file Descriptions of Variables for DeMin Clean Database v20250109.xlsx contains the descriptions of the variables and definitions used in the study.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms litigation; copyright; intellectual property
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 1847 – 2022
Collection Date(s):  View help for Collection Date(s) 2023 – 2024
Universe:  View help for Universe All US copyright litigation decisions involving de minimis defenses.
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) administrative records data

Methodology

Data Source:  View help for Data Source Westlaw legal research database for US District and Federal Circuit judge decisions
Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation Legal decisions

Related Publications

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Published Versions

V1 [2026-06-04]

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Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

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This material is distributed exactly as received from the data depositor. As of April 2026, depositors are required to submit study materials in accessible formats. ICPSR has not reviewed, checked, or processed this material. For additional information about the study, please contact the investigator(s) directly. If you have questions about the accessibility of materials distributed by ICPSR or require further assistance, please visit ICPSR's Accessibility Center.