7 ms·

Another bit of zip code quirkiness: Zip code data is copyrighted to the USPS and can not be reused without purchased permission. To get around that, the openly

Another bit of zip code quirkiness: Zip code data is copyrighted to the USPS and can not be reused without purchased permission. To get around that, the openly available ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the US census are a rough approximation of the same data, so it gets used often as a free alternative.

EMIRELADERO 5y ago
That... can't be true. First of all, US copyrights can't be registered for mere facts. "This ZIP code corresponds to this location" (and a list with this string for all ZIP codes/locations) is a fact, and therefore not copyrightable. However, even if one could convince a judge that it is (What arguments they could use, I have no idea) the whole thing falls apart because the USPS is a government agency, and works released by the U.S government hold no copyright protection inside the U.S
- nathancahill 5y ago
  It is indeed true. Here's the order form: https://postalpro.usps.com/Standardizeyouraddresslist/AISOrderForm https://postalpro.usps.com/Standardizeyouraddresslist/AISOrd...
- kingcharles 5y ago
  Facts are copyrightable in bulk. For instance, if I collate all the horse race results of the 19th Century into a single book, I could copyright it.
  - JimDabell 5y ago
    What you are referring to is the “sweat of the brow” doctrine. This is not correct in the USA. A work must show at least some creativity in order to qualify for copyright protection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_of_the_brow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_of_the_brow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_Publications,_Inc.,_v._Rural_Telephone_Service_Co https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_Publications,_Inc.,_v._R....
    - kingcharles 5y ago
      Thank you - I knew there must be a name for this doctrine but I could never find it.
- tssva 5y ago
  The USPS is an independent federal agency not funded by tax dollars and its employees are not federal government employees. Since works produced by the USPS are not produced by federal government officers or employees they are copyrightable.
  - hackernewds 5y ago
    Wait why shouldn't our tax dollars fund the USPS? I'd love for my fungible tax dollars support timely and speedier mail service
    - mrguyorama 5y ago
      The republicans for some reason really really hate the USPS. They've been looking to privatize it for decades now
      - Irongirl1 5y ago
        Well tbh who can blame them? the service stinks, the employees <at least at my local> are so rude as to border on the psychotic and they refused to allow us to put our mailbox at the end of our drive...we are the only house in our development where this is the case. they routinely refuse to deliver our mail and even when they do its ripped, dirty (at least i hope its dirt) or purposefully missing (yo anybody seen my socks i ordered over a month ago?) and its a never ending saga. she (the local pm) is awful to us all the time. whole checks have gone missing and needed to be reissued. i had hopes of Thiel/OUTBOX but they went about the implementation a*backwards. the machines the invented to scan the mail: check. the mail they wanted to scan: fail. instead of scanning the important mail (bank statements, insurance etc) they should have been scanning the junk and making the marketers pay for enhanced delivery to 1234MainStreet@ups.gov. customers could then just go through digital versions of offers etc and set it up to purge at various intervals. the pizza place, valpak now no longer need to print things thereby saving money and trees and we throw away less paper etc. they already have the EDD software and zip code db this was just one little step and it would have released the full value of the USPS. The royal post in the Uk and the Japanese post both posted record profits at at time when last mile logistics are a BIG deal...and we cant even deliver a postage stamp without problems.

EMIRELADERO 5y ago

That... can't be true. First of all, US copyrights can't be registered for mere facts. "This ZIP code corresponds to this location" (and a list with this string for all ZIP codes/locations) is a fact, and therefore not copyrightable. However, even if one could convince a judge that it is (What arguments they could use, I have no idea) the whole thing falls apart because the USPS is a government agency, and works released by the U.S government hold no copyright protection inside the U.S

nathancahill 5y ago
It is indeed true. Here's the order form: https://postalpro.usps.com/Standardizeyouraddresslist/AISOrderForm https://postalpro.usps.com/Standardizeyouraddresslist/AISOrd...
kingcharles 5y ago
Facts are copyrightable in bulk. For instance, if I collate all the horse race results of the 19th Century into a single book, I could copyright it.
- JimDabell 5y ago
  What you are referring to is the “sweat of the brow” doctrine. This is not correct in the USA. A work must show at least some creativity in order to qualify for copyright protection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_of_the_brow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_of_the_brow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_Publications,_Inc.,_v._Rural_Telephone_Service_Co https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_Publications,_Inc.,_v._R....
  - kingcharles 5y ago
    Thank you - I knew there must be a name for this doctrine but I could never find it.
tssva 5y ago
The USPS is an independent federal agency not funded by tax dollars and its employees are not federal government employees. Since works produced by the USPS are not produced by federal government officers or employees they are copyrightable.
- hackernewds 5y ago
  Wait why shouldn't our tax dollars fund the USPS? I'd love for my fungible tax dollars support timely and speedier mail service
  - mrguyorama 5y ago
    The republicans for some reason really really hate the USPS. They've been looking to privatize it for decades now
    - Irongirl1 5y ago
      Well tbh who can blame them? the service stinks, the employees <at least at my local> are so rude as to border on the psychotic and they refused to allow us to put our mailbox at the end of our drive...we are the only house in our development where this is the case. they routinely refuse to deliver our mail and even when they do its ripped, dirty (at least i hope its dirt) or purposefully missing (yo anybody seen my socks i ordered over a month ago?) and its a never ending saga. she (the local pm) is awful to us all the time. whole checks have gone missing and needed to be reissued. i had hopes of Thiel/OUTBOX but they went about the implementation a*backwards. the machines the invented to scan the mail: check. the mail they wanted to scan: fail. instead of scanning the important mail (bank statements, insurance etc) they should have been scanning the junk and making the marketers pay for enhanced delivery to 1234MainStreet@ups.gov. customers could then just go through digital versions of offers etc and set it up to purge at various intervals. the pizza place, valpak now no longer need to print things thereby saving money and trees and we throw away less paper etc. they already have the EDD software and zip code db this was just one little step and it would have released the full value of the USPS. The royal post in the Uk and the Japanese post both posted record profits at at time when last mile logistics are a BIG deal...and we cant even deliver a postage stamp without problems.