Re: websites: public vs private information?

On Tue, Jun 06, 2000, John Lederer <johnl[_at_]ibm.net> wrote:
>
> This does raise an interesting question. Let us say the year is
> 2010. I say to my computer -- "sexy blonde", "handsome hero",
> "usual cliches", "motorcycles, jet planes", "revealing clothes",
> and "evil villain of a politically safe minority". Poof. My
> computer spits out a screenplay for "Mission Impossible 38 -- the
> Sequel".
>
> Who is the author? Me? The software author? The software seller?
>
> For that matter when I do a web search today, carefully crafting my
> search terms, specifying the priorities of the results, and sending
> the request to one of those sites that in turn send the request to
> multiple search engines, I receive a series of hits. Who is the
> author of the page with the hits on it?

That IS an interesting question. You run a search, get a hit list, and decide to reprint that hit list in an article you publish. The search portal comes after you for copyright infringement. The hits are mere facts, of course; but someone owns the copyright in the selection and arrangement. Whose creative process resulted in the original expression? The search engine's programmers, or you, or both? Not both, because joint ownership requires that both parties must have intended that their separate contributions merge to create a joint work. So it's you or them. Who wins?

> Robert C. Cumbow
> Graham & Dunn, P.C.
> 1420 Fifth Avenue, 33rd Floor
> Seattle, Washington 98101-2390
> Phone: 206-340-9619
> Fax: 206-340-9599
> E-mail: rcumbow[_at_]grahamdunn.com
> Website: http://www.grahamdunn.com/
>

		Big law firm experience
	without the big law firm experience.SM

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