A “compilation” refers to a work formed by the collection and assembling of pre-existing materials or data that are selected, coordinated, or arranged in such a way that the resulting work, as a whole, constitutes an original work of authorship.
The key here is that the work must possess at least some minimal degree of creativity in the selection and arrangement of the materials, not in the materials themselves. The copyright in a compilation is independent of, and does not affect or enlarge the scope, duration, ownership, or subsistence of any copyright protection in the pre-existing materials.
Common examples of compilations include a directory, an anthology, a database, or any other work that includes separate elements brought together into one collective piece. The term “compilation” includes collective works.
