Main Content
Idaho
Copyright Status: Yellow
Openness Score: -0.26
What is the law?
Binding, on-point law (about)
None
Advisory sources (about)
None
Public records law (about)
The current provisions of Idaho's Public Records Act, originally enshrined in Title 9 (§§335-352), have, as of 2015, been repealed in favor of the newer, dedicated Title 74.
Does the public records law restrict the use of disclosed records?
In general, Idaho law does not allow records custodians to condition records requests on any information, including intended use, provided by the requestor. Idaho Code Ann. § 74-102(5). Records custodians may, however, restrict the copying of public records in order to preserve them. Under § 74-120, the Idaho Code specifically prohibits the use of public records as mailing or telephone lists; however, the state's Attorney General has clarified that this only prohibits use of the lists as compiled by the state government, and does not prevent the use of state records to compile lists independently.
Specifics and examples (about)
| Status | Applies to... | Based on? |
|---|---|---|
| Copyrightable by statute | Compilations of the Idaho state code [1] | Idaho Code Ann. §§ 74-123, 73-210 |
| Copyrightable by statute | Design of state license plates | Idaho Code Ann. §§ 49-450, 49-443 |
| Copyrightable by administrative rule | Materials produced by practice section of the Idaho State Bar | ID R BAR COMM Rule 1110 |
| Copyright asserted by department | Content of Idaho Trails website, maintained by Idaho Parks and Recreation | http://www.trails.idaho.gov/trails/terms.html |
Additional things to consider (about)
The Idaho code contains several statements about the ownership of state records. Idaho Code Ann. § 74-121(1) states that "Public records of the state and/or territory of Idaho are the property of the citizens of the state in perpetuity and they may not be improperly or unlawfully transferred or removed from their proper custodian."
The Idaho State Archives requires use of a permission form for reproduction of their image collections, and says only that items "may" be subject to copyright.
Where else to go
- Idaho State Archives, available at http://history.idaho.gov/idaho-state-archives.
- Idaho Attorney General, Idaho Public Records Law Manual, available at http://www.ag.idaho.gov/publications/legalManuals/PublicRecordsLaw.pdf.
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Open Government Guide: Access to Public Records and Meetings in Idaho, available at http://www.rcfp.org/rcfp/orders/docs/ogg/ID.pdf.
Bibliography
Cases
- Adams County Abstract Co. v. Fisk, 117 Idaho 513 (Ct.App. 1990), available at http://www.leagle.com/decision/19902124788P2d1336_12093/ADAMS%20COUNTY%20ABSTRACT%20CO.%20v.%20FISK.
Statutes
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 74-102, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title74/T74CH1SECT74-102.htm.
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 74-120, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title74/T74CH1SECT74-120.htm.
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 74-121, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title74/T74CH1SECT74-121.htm.
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 74-123, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title74/T74CH1SECT74-123.htm.
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 73-210, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title73/T73CH2SECT73-210.htm.
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 49-450, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title49/T49CH4SECT49-450.htm.
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 49-443, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title49/T49CH4SECT49-443.htm.
-
Idaho Code Ann. § 42-1706, available at http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title42/T42CH17SECT42-1706.htm.
Administrative Rules
- ID R BAR COMM Rule 1110, available at http://isb.idaho.gov/pdf/rules/ibcr_sec11_sections.pdf.
Other
-
Office of the Attorney General, Idaho Public Records Manual, available at http://history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/PublicRecordslaw_0.pdf.
-
Idaho Parks and Recreation, terms of use, available at http://www.trails.idaho.gov/trails/terms.html.
-
Idaho State Archives, Copyright and Permission Use, available at http://history.idaho.gov/idaho-state-archives-copyright-and-permission-use.
Footnotes
- [1] Several circuit decisions have affirmed that third-party materials do not lose copyright protection when they are incorporated into state law. See, e.g., Practice Mgmt. Info. Corp. v. Am. Med. Ass'n, 121 F.3d 516 (9th Cir. 1997) amended, 133 F.3d 1140 (9th Cir. 1998); CCC Info. Servs., Inc. v. Maclean Hunter Mkt. Reports, Inc., 44 F.3d 61 (2d Cir. 1994); Bldg. Officials & Code Adm. v. Code Tech., Inc., 628 F.2d 730 (1st Cir. 1980). But see Veeck v. S. Bldg. Code Cong. Int'l, Inc., 293 F.3d 791 (5th Cir. 2002) (holding that third-party written building codes lose copyright protection when they are adopted into law).