On Tue, 10 Nov 1998 Treehistn@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 11/10/98 7:17:30 AM Pacific Standard Time, > johnwms@serv.net writes: > > << > If it looks the same, just be prepared to show your research notes. The > copyright law says "don't copy". It doesn't say you can't have the same > subject or the same information. If you include pictures, you must go to > take your own picture, or draw your own. Just don't copy theirs. >> > > Copyright laws cannot restrict the reporting of public domain data. But they > can and do restrict "copying" the presentation of said data. The individual's > presentation is the material copyrighted. In some cases, it can also be the > research work. The laws are not always clear. Case in point, consider one of > the AIS census index books that are over a thousand pages long. One could > argue that if you scanned the pages of the index, extracted just the index > data itself, presented the data on a CD or a different book, that it would not > violate copy laws because you changed the presentation. But there are > portions of the laws that cover the researcher when it is obvious that they > did not research the materials themselves. (As you said) > > Very gray areas!!! > > Cheryl Hawley Cheryl, I had forgotten that portion of the law. Here is more gray area. I seem to recall that you can limit your research to their work or publication, then state what they have said in a different manner for a different presentation. Or, better yet, add your comments to what they have said. The objective is, show that you have put some added effort into what you present. Question is, was it enough "added" effort? \\\\/// \\- - -// (@ @) John in Seattle -----------o00o-(_)-o00o-------------------- A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. -----------------------0ooo----------------- ooo0 ( ) ( ) ) / \ ( (_ / \_ ) John in Seattle