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This is a plug for an extension I didn't write, and have no stake in: https://free.law/recap https://free.law/recap it's a browser extension that defeats the

This is a plug for an extension I didn't write, and have no stake in: https://free.law/recap https://free.law/recap it's a browser extension that defeats the Pacer monopoly on (many) legal filings. If you do have Pacer and download something, it automatically uploads it to a free server. Thus, it becomes free to everyone else. I think some Big Law firms must use it, because a surprisingly large number of docs are available free. Legalities of this? They seem to be getting away with it.

cldellow 4y ago
> Legalities of this? They seem to be getting away with it. The US government runs PACER itself, they don't contract it to a profit-motivated third-party. [1] As a result, they're pretty lenient. At one point, their website said: "The information gathered from the PACER system is a matter of public record and may be reproduced without permission". So it's totally legal. The RECAP people also make it _really_ easy to ingest documents. For example, lawyers can add a RECAP email address as one of their default contact addresses with the court. Then all filings on any case that lawyer is involved in get automatically ingested when they are filed. [1]: Well, they outsource the administration to a third-party. But it seems more like a "we pay you, you keep the lights on", vs a public-private partnership where the third-party has a profit incentive based on the revenue of the service.
- AlbertCory 4y ago
  Thanks, didn't know all that. I put in the "legalities" part mainly because I was thinking of a similar extension to defeat Elsevier & other vultures of scientific publication. Those people might be more litigious.
  - cldellow 4y ago
    It's good to be wary. My home province gave a private company a 50+ year monopoly on our land title records. I would _love_ something like RECAP for our land title records...but I suspect it's not possible to do it without violating the usage agreement that gets you the record in the first place.
  - oefrha 4y ago
    > defeat Elsevier & other vultures of scientific publication That’s a great way to have your life savings drained, or worse. Don’t do it if you live anywhere where you can be nabbed by Uncle Sam. See Aaron Swartz, Alexandra Elbakyan.
    - AlbertCory 4y ago
      Right. Not planning to.
    - swyx 4y ago
      well, millions of people live somewhere that fit that description. surely someone’s done it? i dont have any personal use for it but i find it hard to believe “where you live” is any material barrier to free scientific information
      - AlbertCory 4y ago
        You are missing the point. "Where you live" IS a material barrier to your getting sued, or arrested.
vxNsr 4y ago
I was just talking to a lawyer about pacer and he told me about recap this past Friday. It’s legal bec court documents are public record. Pacer is officially there just to pay for server and development costs if someone else wants to front that the US gov doesn’t care. That’s also why the first 1000or so docs are free, if you don’t cost them much they’re not gonna charge you. It’s when you start becoming a larger cost center that they need to recoup some of that. And most legal firms can obviously afford to pay.

cldellow 4y ago

> Legalities of this? They seem to be getting away with it. The US government runs PACER itself, they don't contract it to a profit-motivated third-party. [1] As a result, they're pretty lenient. At one point, their website said: "The information gathered from the PACER system is a matter of public record and may be reproduced without permission". So it's totally legal. The RECAP people also make it _really_ easy to ingest documents. For example, lawyers can add a RECAP email address as one of their default contact addresses with the court. Then all filings on any case that lawyer is involved in get automatically ingested when they are filed. [1]: Well, they outsource the administration to a third-party. But it seems more like a "we pay you, you keep the lights on", vs a public-private partnership where the third-party has a profit incentive based on the revenue of the service.

AlbertCory 4y ago
Thanks, didn't know all that. I put in the "legalities" part mainly because I was thinking of a similar extension to defeat Elsevier & other vultures of scientific publication. Those people might be more litigious.
- cldellow 4y ago
  It's good to be wary. My home province gave a private company a 50+ year monopoly on our land title records. I would _love_ something like RECAP for our land title records...but I suspect it's not possible to do it without violating the usage agreement that gets you the record in the first place.
- oefrha 4y ago
  > defeat Elsevier & other vultures of scientific publication That’s a great way to have your life savings drained, or worse. Don’t do it if you live anywhere where you can be nabbed by Uncle Sam. See Aaron Swartz, Alexandra Elbakyan.
  - AlbertCory 4y ago
    Right. Not planning to.
  - swyx 4y ago
    well, millions of people live somewhere that fit that description. surely someone’s done it? i dont have any personal use for it but i find it hard to believe “where you live” is any material barrier to free scientific information
    - AlbertCory 4y ago
      You are missing the point. "Where you live" IS a material barrier to your getting sued, or arrested.

vxNsr 4y ago

I was just talking to a lawyer about pacer and he told me about recap this past Friday. It’s legal bec court documents are public record. Pacer is officially there just to pay for server and development costs if someone else wants to front that the US gov doesn’t care. That’s also why the first 1000or so docs are free, if you don’t cost them much they’re not gonna charge you. It’s when you start becoming a larger cost center that they need to recoup some of that. And most legal firms can obviously afford to pay.