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British Police Accused of Stealing Software

Posted by samzenpus on from the was-that-wrong? dept.

judgecorp writes "The West Yorkshire police force is in the British High court today, accused of stealing intellectual property from a firm whose software decodes forensic data from mobile phones. Forensic Telecoms Services claims the force illegally used and sold copyright data from a commercial mobile phone forensics application it had been using in high profile cases."

5 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. But but.. by TechLA · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They didn't steal anything, they only made a copy! Original owner still has his copy too!

    1. Re:But but.. by tbannist · · Score: 4, Informative

      Specifically, the article alleges that they used (part of) a list of results from the manual of a private system when they developed a competing application. The case seems flimsy, they're going to have to prove that the list should be considered "a work" as opposed to just data. Data isn't protected unless it has some merit of it's own. Lists are generally not protected.

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    2. Re:But but.. by DRJlaw · · Score: 2

      Data isn't protected unless it has some merit of it's own. Lists are generally not protected.

      The European Union disagrees with you, since directive Directive 96/9/EC created a sui generis database protection in the mid 90s.

      FYI the United Kingdom is, in fact, a member of the EU which has enacted enabling legistlation effective as of 1998.

      Why do you feel qualified to evaluate the strength of the case, when you apparently have no actual knowledge of the law in the UK? The European database protection right is neither new nor particularly obscure. There's no excuse for being unaware of it yet presenting yourself as someone qualified to analyze the matter....

  2. Re:copy... by benito27uk · · Score: 3, Informative

    yes they were... From TFA..."but the force went on to repeat alleged infringement in 2007 when it updated the software, now named OLIVE, and made it commercially available."

  3. Re:Looks like clean room design which is legal by Sloppy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    According to TFA the police didn't copy the software, they only used its documentation

    Regardless of whatever facts (or lack thereof) resolve the original accusation, that accusation still exists. Strike One, British Police. Two more of these, and no more Net for you.

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