re; West page numbers and copyright in pagination

     Since cases must be cited by library location (i.e,, West volume and page numbers), a research system that could not supply such information, or allow a case to be accessed by its West volume and page number would be must less useful -- indeed, almost valueless -- for legal research. Lexis solved the problem by paying tribute to West.

     Here in Connecticut, an independent company called CaseBase is putting Connecticut law and caselaw onto CD-ROM, and from what I have seen is using both West case numbers and Connecticut page numbers to identify cases, as must be done in proper legal reference style.

     I don't know if CaseBase is paying West for the privilege or just taking its chances, but my guess is that the only way that this situation can be resolved, and independent paper and CD-ROM publishers allowed to thrive will be to require West to grant a mandatory license in return for some small royalty, to allow independent publishers to cite its system.

     I don't think that the fact the cite is distributed electronically rather than on paper matters at all. Without a standard citation system based on standard -- which West has historically provided -- legal research will become unverifiable and be left in shambles. West is so deeply entrenched in the system that it is hard to see starting all over with a new one.  

Atty. Stuart Case
stuartcase[_at_]delphi.com Received on Sun Jan 16 1994 - 19:58:11 GMT