Copyright abuse #17,892,346,501,827,346,012: you can't copy laws in CA

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080903/NEWS/809030309/1350&title=Getting_access__one_document_at_a_time

He's giving you access, one document at a time
By NATHAN HALVERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

California's building codes, plumbing standards and criminal laws can be found online. But if you want to download and save those laws to your computer, forget it.

The state claims copyright to those laws. It dictates how you can access and distribute them -- and therefore how much you'll have to pay for print or digital copies.

It forbids people from storing or distributing its laws without consent.

That doesn't sit well with Carl Malamud, a Sebastopol resident with an impressive track record of pushing for digital access to public information. He wants California -- and every other federal, state and local agency -- to drop their copyright claims on law, contending it will pave the way for innovators to create new ways of searching and presenting laws.

"When it comes to the law, the courts have always said there can be no copyright because people are obligated to know what it says," Malamud said. "Ignorance of the law is no excuse in court." (more at link)

[tsuki]

1. This is another example of how the government rules, not

governs. The copyrights belong to the people, not the rulers.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Would have thought that the laws belong to the people!

[shraby]

3. I always thought that documents produced by the

goverment couldn't have copyrights on them. The copyright office is online if anyone wants to google it and check the laws. I don't have the time right now.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. Only applies to U.S. government (i.e. federal) docs.

That's states right fer ya.

[TexasObserver]

5. This is part of the march to privatization of government functions.

These government offices sign deals to make records available online through some vendor, who then charges whatever charges they can get by with. Vendor pays the government for the right to be the vendor, and then charges John and Jane Public whatever they can get away with charging.

Because they want to control access to the records, the vendors lean on the government entities to make their rights exclusive.

It's all part of the sell out and sell off of government to cronies of those in power.

[PeaceNikki]

6. Rigoddamndiculous.