Copyright--Laws in general
Lamar Owen
this question would also be appropriate:
Given the general ignorance of the law by most Usenetters (including and
especially myself), why hasn't someone made a database of law texts available
for online perusal?? Is there such a service already available? Preferrably
by e-mail or telnet.
--
Lamar Owen, Systems Consultant, GE Lighting Systems, Hendersonville, NC
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Opinions expressed herein are the author's and do not reflect policy
or opinions of the General Electric Company or its subsidiaries.
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Leonard Erickson
>With all of this discussion on copyright occurring here, I thought maybe that
>this question would also be appropriate:
>Given the general ignorance of the law by most Usenetters (including and
>especially myself), why hasn't someone made a database of law texts available
>for online perusal?? Is there such a service already available? Preferrably
>by e-mail or telnet.
Such databases *are* available. But they are commercial (Westlaw and Lexis
come to mind). Due to oddities of the contracts by which they get info
from the US government, they have an *effective* monopoly on electronicly
available law libraries!
There are moves afoot in Congress to stop this sort of thing. If they
pass then you'd be able to get the same info from (say) the Library
of Congress, and it'd be public domain.
As far as *state* law goes, I have heard that at least one state claims
copyright on it's laws! Thus, unless you have their permission, you
can't quote them! Talk about silly laws...
--
Leonard Erickson leo...@qiclab.scn.rain.com
CIS: [70465,203] 7046...@compuserve.com
FIDO: 1:105/51 Leonard....@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org
(The CIS & Fido addresses are preferred)
Lamar Owen
> lo...@lorc.UUCP (Lamar Owen) writes:
> >Given the general ignorance of the law by most Usenetters (including and
> >especially myself), why hasn't someone made a database of law texts availabl
>
> Such databases *are* available. But they are commercial (Westlaw and Lexis
> come to mind). Due to oddities of the contracts by which they get info
> from the US government, they have an *effective* monopoly on electronicly
> available law libraries!
It just figures! And these info services are probably run by lawyers.
> There are moves afoot in Congress to stop this sort of thing. If they
> pass then you'd be able to get the same info from (say) the Library
> of Congress, and it'd be public domain.
That would be ideal, because then the public would be more informed about
what Congress actually *does*... Hmmm.. Does Congress REALLY want to do this?
:-)
> As far as *state* law goes, I have heard that at least one state claims
> copyright on it's laws! Thus, unless you have their permission, you
> can't quote them! Talk about silly laws...
Ah, you CAN quote them, you just can't reproduce in whole or in part, in any
media, electronic or otherwise. Quoting is part of "fair use", if I am not
vastly mistaken.
> Leonard Erickson leo...@qiclab.scn.rain.com