Copyright (was PDFs and tapeworm descriptions)

[Peter Stevens]

So if I had a type data base that I was peddling, it being the sole
source of income for the family, and Rich built up a database that
for free included descriptions, illustrations, and - oh yes, types -
what then?

Peter S.

>At 06:42 PM 5/14/2002, Richard Pyle wrote:
>
>>and re-distribute it without Smith's permission.  But what if Rich Pyle
>>independently combed through the original liteurature, and built his own
>>database of the same information from scratch.  Is Rich Pyle then free to
>>publish the contents of *his* version of essentially the same database
>>online, and further declare it to be in the public domain?
>
>Probably not if it represents a substantial portion of the original database.
>That compilation, if complete, would now represent the only source for a
>complete or nearly complete listing of these taxa.  Now of course, the only
>incentive for someone to invest the effort to create such a database and
>to copyright it would be if you could make money licensing the data, but
>who knows...
>
>I only saw the original WIPO iteration, but in that version if your
>compilation
>caused financial harm to the original database creator, you were in
>violation.  I *believe* that provision is still true, so, yes another version
>of those words and concepts, at least as a complete account of the taxa,
>types, etc would be forbidden (at least if you published or distributed it
>and reduced the marketplace for the original).  If you are interested see:
>
>http://cryptome.org/eu-copyright.htm
>
>I would note that I and several other published warnings about this to
>Taxacom back in 1997/98.
>
>http://usobi.org/archives/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind9810&L=TAXACOM&P=R2927
>
>See also:  http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/records/0309056357.html