[LEAPSECS] Olsen database taken offline

[Warner Losh]

The issue, in a nutshell, is that the Olsen database took facts from a book, transformed them in format and placed them into electronic form.  The reaction likely is one of an abundance of caution: STFU and stop if you are sued.

The merits of the case seem weak to me, since database do not have copyright protection.  Facts cannot be copyrighted any more than a telephone book.  There must be creative content to convey copyright.  But I'm no lawyer.

Warner

On Oct 6, 2011, at 12:07 PM, Greg Hennessy wrote:


> Apparently being the subject of a lawsuit makes one loath to

> distribute a database.

> 

> http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/06/1743226/civil-suit-filed-involving-the-time-zone-database

> 

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