[tz] Elliot - I want to talk about the TZ project ASAP...

[Clive D.W. Feather]

Lester Caine said:
>> Who owns it is one of the topics of the current litigation.
> Not exactly ... who the information was copied from is the subject of the 
> litigation. The information itself is 'public domain' and nobody can deny 
> that, the current problem is a compilation of that material does have some 
> protection

Indeed, I was simplifying.

> Going forward, there is no problem, but many of us have an interest in the 
> past history, and while the history is public domain, doing the work to 
> collate that information into a single source is what can be copyrighted. 

Possibly. See Feist v Rural in the USA.

> In this case there is obviously no simple copying, since the information 
> has been expanded and modified to correct mistakes?

That doesn't stop the TZ files being a derivative work (I'm not claiming
that they are, just that you can't rule it out until a court looks at it).

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather          | If you lie to the compiler,
Email: clive at davros.org     | it will get its revenge.
Web: http://www.davros.org  |   - Henry Spencer
Mobile: +44 7973 377646