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Library of Congress Threatens Washington Watch Wiki

Posted by kdawson on from the trademark-madness dept.

BackRow writes "Washington Watch, a site devoted to tracking the cost of federal legislation, has raised the hackles of the Library of Congress with a new wiki that makes an unfavorable comparison to the LOC's THOMAS legislative search engine. After Jim Harper, Washington Watch's creator and the director of information policy at the Cato Institute, announced the wiki, he received a nastygram from the LOC." Quoting: "After the announcement, he was contacted by Matt Raymond, the Director of Communications at the Library (and the author of the Library of Congress' blog). Raymond said that he possessed 'statutory and regulatory authority governing unauthorized use of the Library's name and logo and those of Library subunits and programs,' and he asked that Harper stop using the names 'Library of Congress' and 'THOMAS' in his marketing materials."

5 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. What's the real reason for the nastygram? by panaceaa · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Did Matt Raymond sent the nastygram to Washington Watch because the Library of Congress is part of the legislative branch, and Washington Watch can be perceived as critical of the corruption in Congress? Or did someone on the THOMAS team get personally insulted that someone could develop a better system than theirs, and push to punish the creator of the superior system out of jealousy? The latter seems a bit extreme, which leads me to believe Congressmen are scared of people knowing how much the government is actually spending on pork projects that they're even willing to have the Library of Congress send threatening letters to people who share the Library's vision for open information.

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    my blog
  2. Re:I want a letter! by Romancer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You can say any comparison you want in your marketing materials, just so long as you have the fine print at the bottom saying that their logis if used are the property of their respective owners.

    --


    ) Human Kind Vs Human Creation
    ) It'd be interesting to see how many humans would survive to serve us.
  3. In my opinion... by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Whoever originally coined the word Con-gress ... should be modded the most insightful and prescient individual in history.

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    The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
  4. Re:I pay may taxes. by exi1ed0ne · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was under the impression that the government and everything it owns, collectively, belong to the American People, but apparently I'm wrong.

    I believe you have that backwards unfortunately. Anything that can be construed as a financial instrument is subject to seizure under the Trading With the Enemy Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The laws are already there on the books to take all your stuff, as was done with gold in 1933.

    Or in slash-speak: a beowulf cluster of laws own all u base, it runs windows vista ultimate cluster edition, and that's Condoleezza under the hot grits.

    --
    Pessimists.net - as if life wasn't depressing enough.
  5. Re:Cato Institute? Eh, whatever. by binarybits · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I would be curious to know which industry sources funded my paper criticizing the DMCA. Or for that matter, their recent papers criticizing the Bush administration's civil liberties record and the NSA's wiretapping program.

    It's also interesting that you don't cite any "false information." Are we supposed to just take your word for it that a lot of what we put out is false?