The Core Dump

It updates the blog, or it gets the hose again.

Copyright protection for databases

It’s apparently not enough that the patent system is broken enough that setting up a simple web page [violates a patent](http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20030123.html). No indeedy, it’s time for [a bill](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR03261:@@@L&summ2=m&) that gives the _content_ of databases the [same copyright protection as original works](http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-5145040.html), even if the information in the database is publicly available.

It’s apparently not enough that the patent system is broken enough that setting up a simple web page violates a patent. No indeedy, it’s time for a bill that gives the content of databases the same copyright protection as original works, even if the information in the database is publicly available.

Yes, giving lawyers more ammunition is definitely the way to help things.

Thanks to Techdirt for the heads-up.

Music: “Lucky You” by Deftones [Opens in iTunes]

Posted Thursday, 22 January, 2004 by

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