OT: Online auctins an institution?

From: Computer Room Internet Cafe <netcafe_at_pirie.mtx.net.au>
Date: Tue Dec 22 18:43:18 1998

-----Original Message-----
From: Hans Franke <Hans.Franke_at_mch20.sbs.de>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Wednesday, 23 December 1998 4:34
Subject: Re: OT: Online auctins an institution?


>Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
>Just tell me you are joking - next time someone copyrights the
>number 5 and you have to pay to use it ? C'mon, they CAN'T
>copyright data - only representations ... It can't go that
>way.


I seem to recall that this is the reason the Pentium(c) is called that and
not
a 586. Intel tried to copyright it, (to stop clone chip makers calling
their cpu's
"586's", and were told by the courts (?) that a numerical sequence couldn't
be
copyrighted.

>> There most certainly are companies that claim ownership of raw data, and
there
>> in not yet enough established case law in this area. Some of the courts
have
>> ruled in favor of plaintifs in these cases.

Shakespeare had the right idea. "First, lets kill all the lawyers"
The USA is not the entire world either. A company established in
say, Latvia or Kazahkstan selling such information might as well
be on the dark side of the moon as far as US courts/laws are concerned.

>Hmm, you sound realy serious. It's ridicoulus ... next time
>time some University claims the fact that the earth is measured
>25.000 Miles around and wants royalities from everyone using this
>fact ? Maybe thats a way to convert the US to the metric system ...
>just copyright all mesurements in Miles and Inches ad so on ...

Now there's a thought......:^)

Cheers

Geoff Roberts
Computer Room Internet Cafe
Port Pirie
South Australia.
netcafe_at_pirie.mtx.net.au
Received on Tue Dec 22 1998 - 18:43:18 GMT