CSI respectfully disagrees with the U.S. District Court's September 1, 2026 ruling in CSI v. Zerodocs.com, Inc. and is committed to taking the appropriate steps to protect its intellectual property.
The copyrighted MasterFormat® standard represents decades of work by CSI members and other construction industry professionals to create a shared language for the built environment. CSI built and maintains these standards, which deserve the legal protection the law provides to original works of authorship.
This ruling addresses one court's view of a single case. It does not change CSI's commitment to defending MasterFormat®, UniFormat®, and OmniClass® standards, or CSI’s responsibility to the professionals and organizations that rely on these standards every day.
FAQ
Does this mean anyone can copy the MasterFormat® standards now?
No. The ruling addresses one court’s application of copyright law to this specific taxonomy and this specific defendant’s use of it. CSI’s ownership of the MasterFormat® standards and trademark, and CSI's role as the organization that develops and maintains those intellectual properties, remains unchanged. CSI continues to hold copyright and trademark registrations covering the MasterFormat®, UniFormat® and OmniClass® standards.
Does this affect CSI’s trademark registrations?
No. This ruling does not have any impact on CSI trademark registrations.
Does this change how members and licensees should use the MasterFormat® standards?
No. Members and licensees should continue using MasterFormat® as they do today.