Debatable in part. Law case books, reporting court cases, with particular page numbering (formatting in your terms), do not amount to a defensible copyright, s

Debatable in part. Law case books, reporting court cases, with particular page numbering (formatting in your terms), do not amount to a defensible copyright, so the West Publishing Companies case numbering citations do not amount to a defensible copyright claim, and those page numbering citations can be freely used by other publications.