after the 1986 "west v. mead" decision, mead data and lexis were acquired by reed elsevier, a large english-dutch based publisher. during the "matthew bender v. west" case, reed elsevier and matthew bender entered into a strategic relationship, culminating in reed elsevier's acquisition of matthew bender in 1998, just after the second circuit appeals were argued. reed elsevier now was on the side of west and filed an amicus brief opposing hyperlaw and supporting west. thus, although the name of the case might suggest that matthew bender challenged west on the text claim, by the middle of the case matthew bender was on the side of west on the text issue. reed elsevier's support of west's claims to a copyright in text was consistent with the initiatives, discussed below, to sidestep "feist" by implementing database protection, through legislation and treaties discussed below. similarly, during the case, west was acquired by the canadian-based international publisher, the thomson corporation.