Non-Profit Org Claims Rights In Library Catalog Data

lamona writes "The main source of the bibliographic records that are carried in library databases is a non-profit organization called OCLC. Over the weekend OCLC 'leaked' its new policy that claims contractual rights in the subsequent uses of the data, uses such as downloading book information into Zotero or other bibliographic software. The policy explicitly forbids any use that would compete with OCLC. This would essentially rule out the creation of free and open databases of library content, such as the Open Library and LibraryThing. The library blogosphere is up in arms . But can our right to say: "Twain, Mark. The adventures of Tom Sawyer" be saved?"

Comments

Re:DDS

[Hurricane78]

but I don't understand why so many people are surprised to find out that the DDC is a piece of IP like any other.

Maybe it's because there is no such thing as intellectual property!
Just because the people (trough the state) grant you a right to be the only one to earn cash from something for some years, this does not mean that you can actually own thoughts.

The only thoughts you can keep just for you, are the one that you keep just for you. If you talk about them or spread your ideas otherwise, they are in the public domain, and in the brains of others. By your theory, it's now their IP too (because their intellect has the information). If it's in the public domain, it stays there. Live with it.

It's a sad day, when even Slashdot is infected by the brainwashing disinformation of the media industry and similar douchebags.