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

[Lester Caine]

Clive D.W. Feather wrote:
>> To sidestep that liability there are a number of things we can do with
>> >  the Stakeholder Role suggested in B too - we should talk more about
>> >  this and who actually owns this data.
> 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 
so it is a matter of the data being directly copied, or simply used as a 
reference to verify the data with other sources. If the use of a source is cross 
referenced with other sources, and the validity of conflicts are investigated, 
then the data has not simply been cut and paste copied, and can't be so protected.

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. In this case there 
is obviously no simple copying, since the information has been expanded and 
modified to correct mistakes? As I understand it, the timezone data published in 
the atlas has not actually been updated in later issues and so is no longer a 
reliable source anyway?

Identifying verified sources of any of the data is important, and the mailing 
list provides a lot of that material, which may include references to an 
'Authoritative Body' who has created the information.

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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