Re: The telephone network and the internet (RE: [ga] ALAC comments on proposed Bylaws modifications)

[Marc Schneiders <marc@fuchsia.bijt.net>]

On Thu, 13 Mar 2003, at 16:57 [=GMT-0600], Eric Weisberg wrote:

> Marc Schneiders wrote:
>
> >Personally I think that all such texts, whether we call them
> >recommendations or standards, should be freely available on the internet.
> >If only because making them more accessible, makes them more effective.
> >If you take yourself serious, you don't hide what you have to offer.
> >
> >As soon as there is participation of those governed into the governing
> >organization it becomes _imperative_ that all material is accessible.
> >Otherwise it would be most easy to disqualify would-be participants for
> >lack of knowledge. That is precisely what we want to avoid, I would hope.
> >
> >
> I have been following this discussion with some interest.  The issue
> extends beyond proposed and enacted standards
> to include laws and treaties  I represent Peter Veeck in litigation
> currently pending  before
> the US Supreme Court contesting copyright of city ordinances (in our
> case, building codes).  The same arguments
> are being made in our litigation as on this list.  Anyone interested in
> the court filings, etc., may visit Pete's site
> <http://regionalweb.texoma.net/cr>

This is a most interesting topic. So far the texts of laws have been free
of copyright, in my country (the Netherlands) in any case. But there are
problems. The state does only publish individual texts and changes. It
does not take care of some up to date full edition with all changes
included. Companies do make the texts accessible. And they don't like
others to reprint their work, or put it on the net. I am afraid that new
European rules tend to favour the position of the publishing companies in
granting protection to some types of compilations.





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