| | The
traditional sharing of scientific data has made projects like the International
Space Station, the Human Genome Project, and global climate change research possible.
It also makes possible the sharing of data on unique events such as the eruption
of Mt. St. Helens and research that is too time consuming or costly to recreate.
But there are many who see the database industry as one that needs the protection
of intellectual property law. The definition of databases can be very broad; from
a list of internet links to the television listings in your newspaper. Can data
or facts be considered a creative input due protection under opyright law? Since
Feist v. Rural Telecom (1991), a unanimous Supreme Court decision, facts haven't
been seen as protectable. Pending database legislation may change that.
Overviews |
