Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Letter to Infoworld

Author:Jim Goodman
Posted:8/12/1999; 11:49:19 AM
Topic:Letter to Infoworld
Msg #:9413 (In response to 9411)
Prev/Next:9412 / 9414

Look this has all gotten absurd... It really boils down, not to the actual linking, but to who "owns" the data. According to some lawyer friends of mine, here is how it CAN play out.... You produce a magazine, and in it you have a list of the top rated software (i don't care how it was compiled), and you "charge" for this list by requiring a subscription to the mag. you then put up a web site, and without charging a fee, place this same list on the net. this "list" has now become public information. As long as you give credit to where it came from (send them to the page, open a new browser window, whatever... we all know what I'm talking about), or if you are going to represent the information, like i said give credit and REFORMAT. If it is in a different format (i.e. not exactly the same, maybe the list doesn't have last weeks position or the number of weeks on the list), and credit is given, then this is a verey gray area that my lawyer friends say is very tough to defend. Hey, if you want to go through the phone book and copy all the listings manually so that you can reformat it for your web site, go and knock yourself out... that is public information (as long as it is reformatted).

Like i said, it's really not about the linking (unless their is mis-representation, etc. And that could be of who owns the data or if the data is incorrect.), it's about the content! And content is king. Just remember, Tom Brokaw can get on the air and say "A story was broken in Infoworld today that involved the release of the worlds greates piece of software from Userland...." and no one has a problem with that... so don't worry about the law suits. Just remeber jesuit management - do whatever you want and atone for your sins later.

-jbg

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