Page:Veeck v Southern Building Code Congress Intl.pdf/61

 is enacted into law by being adopted by reference, it automatically metamorphoses from "expression" to emerge as an "idea"—and that as an idea, it cannot be protected. the doctrine of "merger" applies Relatedly, he contends that to nullify protection for expressions of an idea any time that there are only one or a very limited number of ways to express a given idea. The cornerstone of both arguments is the definition of "idea" in the context of a model code that has been enacted by reference.

a.

Veeck's argument fails because it misapprehends and misapplies the "idea" concept in copyright law. "Idea" in copyright law is a