chris wrote "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."
Unfortunately you are wrong (you mix up facts/data with artistic content). Copyright does not (nor was it ever intended to) protect the effort of the creator. The intent is to advance progress and knowledge. this is done by allowing the author some control over the artistic content of his/her work for a limited time period (a persons life plus additional time). After that time, the work (ie: the knowledge) can be used freely by anyone. The facts or ideas themselves cannot be copyright. If your idea was correct, you would not be in business. Because - the person who originally created/found the data would own it. You would not be allowed to compile that data and resell it. [However, the program you wrote to access/interprete/display the data is your artistic work and can be copyright.] There are probably only 50 basic murder mystery plots (the ideas), yet millions of murder mystery books have been written. The plots (ideas) are not copyright, but the books are. s. figuers --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
