I reported on similar legislation that has been enacted in the E.U. in a class almost a year ago. I knew it'd only be a matter of time before legislation would be proposed here as well. Personally, I think the work of database creators should be considered intellectual property, as much as the data in it is, but I'm going to reserve any further comment until I can read the actual bill.
Posted by michael at February 10, 2004 04:04 PMBy the way, here is the full text of the bill:
H.R.3261 - Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act
Posted by michael at February 10, 2004 04:16 PMMichael, that link to the full text is not connecting.
I suppose I am closer to the side of the argument which might be considered 'radical.' You probably know that type of person, we like to steal music and share software. I don't think copyrights serve the interests of anyone except those people who want to make a profit.
However, I obviously understand the benefits of ownership, as owners can invest profit back into projects. There are many questions about this, and no sure direction. Uncertainty remains; and I would like to know more about this bill. I will hold off any more discussion until further review.