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Canada Post Files Copyright Lawsuit Over Crowd-sourced Postal Code Database

Posted by Soulskill on from the holding-a-copyright-on-being-jerks dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Canada Post has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Geolytica, which operates GeoCoder.ca, a website that provides several geocoding services including free access to a crowd-sourced, compiled database of Canadian postal codes. Canada Post argues that it is the exclusive copyright holder of all Canadian postal codes and claims that GeoCoder appropriated the database and made unauthorized reproductions. GeoCoder compiled the postal code database by using crowdsourcing techniques, without any reliance on Canada Post's database, and argues that there can be no copyright on postal codes and thus no infringement (PDF)."

6 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Right Idea, Wrong Argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As much as I think the idea of copyrighting post codes is stupid, surely the source of the data doesn't matter. That is like taking a picture, looking at each pixel, manually selecting a similar color pixel and creating a new image, then claiming that you own copyright on this new image. Postcodes should be as uncopyrightable as information about the boundary between counties.

    1. Re:Right Idea, Wrong Argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      I know this sounds radical, but Canada actually has its own set of laws around copyright that are -- shockingly -- NOT THE SAME AS IN THE USA.

    2. Re:Right Idea, Wrong Argument by mrjb · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Facts should not be copyrightable. The fact that street A has postcode B, therefore should not be copyrightable, never mind that you 'invented' or 'generated' those facts. But I don't think your analogy is particularly strong.

      If you blatantly make an analog copy of the Mona Lisa, that's copyright infringement even if the target work doesn't have the exact same colour values as the original. But what's happening here is more like trying to paint a copy of the Mona Lisa without ever looking at the original, merely based on descriptions a bunch of people give you. In other words, you will never know for sure how accurate your representation is going to be.

      After years of work, you present your result to the general public, and it looks, well, like this. Next thing you know, the Canadian Post Office sues you for copyright infringement. Somehow I don't think (I might hope not!) that the judge will agree.

      --
      Visit http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/growingbettersoftware to download your free copy of the book
    3. Re:Right Idea, Wrong Argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I know this sounds radical, but sometimes people note that there laws in a different country that - shockingly - ALREADY ACTUALLY HANDLE A PARTICULAR SITUATION CORRECTLY.

    4. Re:Right Idea, Wrong Argument by Kneo24 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why would you post a link to ONE picture where you need to be logged in to view? I realize my comment is off-topic, but when you're having a public discussion and you're trying to use examples to back up your points so they're more clear, I can't help but wonder why you would choose an example behind a wall that we have to now get over.

  2. Why? by Hentes · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A guy creates a site that makes it easier for customer's to use their service, why the hell are they suing him?