I think you forgot the most important reason to protect data (maybe it was d)****?)- So that the people who risk the time, money, and effort in creating value that didn't exist before get rewarded for it.
I'm sure it would be great for "the public" if all GIS data were allowed to be copied freely....but would it be fair? Aren't people who create GIS datasets part of "the public" too? Why should they be forced to work for free? And in the end, who would risk millions of dollars (think NavTech, GDT, others) to collect, process, and update data knowing that the first person they sold it to could give it away to whomever they choose? Would that be great for "the public"? A copywrite is meant to protect the EFFORT of the creator...words, methods, and code are just tools the creator uses to create value. The underlying principle is that he who creates value should own the rights to it....whether that value is a story, a symphony, an invention (patent), a software program, or a data set. Regards, Chris P.S.....good debate Christopher DuBuc Sage Software [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: MI-L copyright and protecting data sets. >Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 15:21:29 EDT > >protecting data sets and a copyright are almost a contradiction in terms. >A >copyright protects the words (and possibly the method) by which an author >expresses the facts and ideas. A copyright does not protect the facts or >ideas themselves. Protecting the facts and ideas violates the entire >concept >behind a copyright. Copyright was put into the US constitution to >encourage >intellectual progress by allowing the expression of ideas (not the facts) >to >be controlled by the author for a set period of time. > >what is purpose of protecting a data set? a) forcing the creation of a >captive customer base that has to purchase your product; b) preventing the >competition from copying your data and offering a competing product at a >cheaper price; c) help protect you from lawsuits from customers that misuse >your data; d) *****? > >The first two might be good for business, but they can be bad for the >public. > Just count the times that there been complaints on this list about >MapInfo >and ESRI and AutoCad for not publicily releasing the format for their data >files to allow easy cross use of the data between mapinfo and arcveiw. >These >restrictions are almost always bad over time. I (and I suspect many of >you) >have data sets in program formats that are more than 5 years old. Without >the original program to open files, the data is lost. Even though I still >have the program, it will not run on any of the current machines or >operating >systems (have any of you heard of a well log drawing program called >GTGS?) > >The last can be partially gotten around by the lawyers, but people will >always find strange ways to use and misuse data. > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | >To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
