How to fight HR 3261 and the ownership of facts [LWN.net]

How to fight HR 3261 and the ownership of facts

Posted Jan 29, 2004 2:41 UTC (Thu) by bignose (subscriber, #40)
Parent article: HR 3261 and the ownership of facts

So what's the best way to fight this?

Lobby? The forces that lobbied to get the bill passed didn't stop at defeat; they pushed the same law in different forms until it finally passed. It's doubtful citizen lobbying could have much lasting effect against that kind of power.

Civil disobedience? Finding databases of facts that now have owners, and publishing said facts, would appear to fall under this law. What good could come of a court case showing the absurdity of the new law?

Using the law to demonstrate absurdity? We could compile a database of the digits of pi, for instance, then sue every scientific organisation that publishes those digits. Or, as the article suggests, make a database of quotes from famous people, then sue anyone who publishes those quotes. What good could come of this?

Any other strategies?

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How to fight HR 3261 and the ownership of facts

Posted Jan 29, 2004 7:14 UTC (Thu) by komarek (guest, #7295) [Link]

Please don't sue scientists trying to get work done. Please.

-Paul Komarek

How to fight HR 3261 and the ownership of facts

Posted Jan 29, 2004 7:37 UTC (Thu) by coriordan (subscriber, #7544) [Link]

> So what's the best way to fight this?

Pick one of the digital/information rights groups that are already fighting this and help them.

You'll find no shortage of good ideas, but there's always a shortage of people that are actually willing to do some work.

How to fight HR 3261 and the ownership of facts

Posted Jan 30, 2004 17:47 UTC (Fri) by giraffedata (subscriber, #1954) [Link]

Using the law to demonstrate absurdity? We could compile a database of the digits of pi, for instance, then sue every scientific organisation that publishes those digits.

Since those scientists didn't get their value of pi from your database, and thus are not covered by this law, all you'd be demonstrating is the absurdity of a system that lets anyone sue anyone at the defendant's expense.

(And frankly, I don't think you'd demonstrate even that, because in many jurisdictions, you'd eventually be sued for making frivolous claims or vexatious litigation and lose).