 The case set a legal precedent which has shaped copyright law to the present day . It established the common law doctrine of fair abridgement , which was cited in other cases , ultimately building up to the idea of fair use . The opinion also recognised the author 's right to a work through the nature of the labour it took to produce it , shifting copyright away from publishing rights and towards the idea of serving the greater good by encouraging the production of new , useful works . 
