4 ms·
The reason you are getting downvoted is probably twofold. (1) Patents are not copyrights. They are distinct. You can patent a business process, which covers a
by thephyber 9y ago
The reason you are getting downvoted is probably twofold.
(1) Patents are not copyrights. They are distinct. You can patent a business process, which covers a ton of algorithms.
(1) Copyrights can cover the expression of facts. eg. ESPN can't copyright baseball statistics, but they can copyright the {webpages, spreadsheets, books, magazines} they publish which contain nothing more than factual scores / play statistics.
- rosser 9y agoYour second point, as specifically phrased, is probably factually false. SCotUS ruled in Feist Publications Inc., v. Rural Telephone Service Co. [0] that, "Many compilations consist of nothing but raw data — i.e. wholly factual information not accompanied by any original expression. On what basis may one claim a copyright upon such work? Common sense tells us that 100 uncopyrightable facts do not magically change their status when gathered together in one place. … The key to resolving the tension lies in understanding why facts are not copyrightable: The sine qua non of copyright is originality." This is the source of what I've heard called the "phone book doctrine" of copyright (though I'm not finding any hits on that phrase in a cursory search, so it may not be a widely used phrasing). Publications "which contain nothing more than factual scores / play statistics" per se contain no originality, and are consequently not copyrightable. (IANAL) [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_Publications,_Inc.,_v._Rural_Telephone_Service_Co https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_Publications,_Inc.,_v._R....
- rhizome 9y agoCourt proceedings are public records and so who is filing suit is just a short parse away. Not sure what patents would be infringed there, but I'm willing to be educated.
- admax88q 9y agoYou underestimate the absurdity of many software patents.
- rhizome 9y agoI assure you I do not.
- vonmoltke 9y ago> Court proceedings are public records and so who is filing suit is just a short parse away. You woefully underestimate the amount of work required to do that, and the cost of acquiring those documents.
- rhizome 9y agoPretty sure EDTX is on PACER.