There can be an almost philosophical quality to copyright fights, which often deal with questions of essence and being.

A ruling handed down by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Ohio on Wednesday wrestled with an inquiry into the nature of outfits worn by cheerleaders.

The question before the appellate court was whether cheerleading uniforms are eligible for federal copyright protection.

Sixth Circuit Judge Karen Nelson Moore, who wrote the opinion, framed the case more enigmatically: "Are cheerleading uniforms truly cheerleading uniforms without the stripes, chevrons, zigzags, and color blocks?"

The dispute -- an infringement claim by a uniform designer accusing another company of ripping off its designs (pictured above) -- is a good example of how tricky it can be for courts to decide what is copyrightable.