[OT] Is data copyrightable?

Dear Hadley:

	  P.s.  Ben Klemens (2006) Math you can't use (Brookings) cites cases 
where people have been successfully sued for copyright infringement for 
using a theorem they independently discovered.  That's pretty scary to 
me and seems totally unreasonable, but apparently the law at least in 
the US.

	  Spencer Graves

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      Brian's reply seems more consistent with what I've heard than
Peter's.

      The briefest summary I know of copyright law is that expression
but not ideas can be copyrighted.  Copyright law exists to promote
useful arts, and a compilation of data is intended to be useful.
Google, led me to "http://ahds.ac.uk/copyrightfaq.htm#faq1?", says that
"data or other materials which (a) are arranged in a systematic or
methodical way, or (b) are individually accessible by electronic or
other means" can be copyrighted.

      Beyond that, there is a "fair use" doctrine, which in the US at
least allows use in many cases by educators in public institutions, but
the same use by someone not affiliated with a public school might be an
infringement.  Ten years ago, I heard from attorneys at the University
of Wisconsin that a college prof can run copies of a journal article and
distribute them to this class without worrying about copyright
infringement (provided any money collected is clearly designed to cover
costs not make a profit), but the same copies prepared by Kinko's off
campus for the same class (sold perhaps at the same price) must get
copyright permission.

      Hope this helps.
      Spencer Graves

[OT] Is data copyrightable?

Thread (9 messages)