I think I've picked a bad example! I was thinking along the same lines you explained -- that the facts wouldn't be copyrightable, but the overall work might be

I think I've picked a bad example! I was thinking along the same lines you explained -- that the facts wouldn't be copyrightable, but the overall work might be. To that effect - the scan produces a point-cloud. If you repeated the scan, you'd get almost the same point-cloud. Thus, the point-cloud is a fact. But the process of taking that point cloud produces a work, given the creativity involved in cleaning it up and checking accuracy, then making it into a model fit for release. I was under the impression that the phone book's appearance and layout might be copyrightable (trade dress/look and feel), though that's more likely a trademark issue than a copyright one.