Comment Re:Hmms... (Score 1) 525
I don't buy your reasoning that the issue is about the quantity of facts -- i.e. one fact or a "database's worth of facts."
The issue is this. Steinbecks Grapes of Wrath is not a collection of facts. There may be some facts in the book and there are some words and you can use either, but the particular arrangment "belongs" (or "belonged", depending on your view of copyright) to Steinbeck. Certainly, it's beyond doubt that he is the "creator" of that work. But what about an alphabetical list of the elements? Who created that? If I am the first person to list the elements, did I create that list in some meaninful way which entitles me to the royalties of those who use it? Who owns that the periodic table? How many ways are there to organize that information?
The issue, as I see it, is not how many facts you have in your database that match up with facts in someone else's database. The issue is how you came about those facts. If you steal the information, you may be prosecuted under present laws. If you violate someones terms of service and in the process injur another party economically, you can be sued. But facts are facts, and an attitude toward information of "first come, first served" is immoral. It is motivated soley by profit and does not benefit the people in any way, and in fact stands to do much harm to the peope.
The issue is this. Steinbecks Grapes of Wrath is not a collection of facts. There may be some facts in the book and there are some words and you can use either, but the particular arrangment "belongs" (or "belonged", depending on your view of copyright) to Steinbeck. Certainly, it's beyond doubt that he is the "creator" of that work. But what about an alphabetical list of the elements? Who created that? If I am the first person to list the elements, did I create that list in some meaninful way which entitles me to the royalties of those who use it? Who owns that the periodic table? How many ways are there to organize that information?
The issue, as I see it, is not how many facts you have in your database that match up with facts in someone else's database. The issue is how you came about those facts. If you steal the information, you may be prosecuted under present laws. If you violate someones terms of service and in the process injur another party economically, you can be sued. But facts are facts, and an attitude toward information of "first come, first served" is immoral. It is motivated soley by profit and does not benefit the people in any way, and in fact stands to do much harm to the peope.
