Re: Web link copyright

On Thu, 06 May 1999, Stanley M. Morris <smmorris[_at_]rmii.com> wrote:
>
> Are URL's subject to copyright? Specifically, may an alphabetical
> list of URL's incorpoated in a web page be subject to copyright?
> The pages in question appear to be similar to a telephone book or
> a city directory. I think not. Is there a case on point? Thanks.

Maybe. According to Feist a compilation is protected to the extent that the selection, arrangement and coordination of the elements in the compilation are original and evidence a modicum of creativity. Your collection of URLs could be viewed as, and indeed is, a compilation. So the question is whether it is a sufficiently original and creative compilation. Now if listed the 50 best copyright sites on the web in descending order of "goodness" you might be able to make an argument for protecting the list by copyright (especially if the list was not exhaustive). If you annotated the list, you do doubt could be protected just as annotated scholarly biographies are protected.

-- 
S. Warwick
swarwick[_at_]sprynet.com

Seven Blunders of the World That Lead to Violence
  Wealth without work         - Science without humanity
  Pleasure without conscience - Worship without sacrifice
  Knowledge without character - Politics without principle
  Commerce without morality
         Mahatma Gandhi