Sweat of the brow

An early theory of copyright justification whereby an author was granted rights to a work as a reward for their efforts in creation. Unlike modern U.S. copyright law, creativity and originality were not required, only mere effort and diligence.

"The Supreme Court has disapproved the 'sweat of the brow' standard, explaining that its defect lies in the fact that the copyright laws were never intended to protect information merely for the reason that it may stem from effort or labor."

