If I post anon how *preciscely* do you expect to levy fines if i'm anon to begin with? So it's only the people posting information (and thus in step with the law) that this could apply to and then they obviously wouldn't be guilty of violating it.
yes yes, you can add more laws requiring servers to track IP and other info but that's not what this law says:)
let's make a law that says it's illegal to go over 100MPH in a car that's not capable of doing so while we're at it.
Actually with the glacial pace of many approval processes 17 years isn't all that long (i'm aruging for removing red tape, not the insane length of patents) today. Heck, it costs something like a billion dollars and 2-5 (more?) years for them to bring a drug to market. Still, the attention span of consumers is so tiny that you wind up with patent trolls chasing down one tiny piece of something you made that infringes on somethign they dreamed up for a totally different purpose (and used it for that) 10, 20, 30 years ago.
That said, copyright makes an even worse mockery out of the system because time-to-market is negligable in comparison.
Actually the founding fathers knew they WERE fallible and WOULD make mistakes. That's why the attempted to build a 'self-healing' system. Unfortunately they were far more wise and had much more integrity than most people and especially corporation do today.
But hey, all they had to lose was their lives, families, and infant country. We've got $trillions wrapped up in this stuff today!
While I agree there is similarities and perhaps some merit in the comparison with Palm vs. Xerox there are also differences.
Graffiti was a custom-created alphabet that was simple enough to learn and write but unique enough for the very limited processing power to identify. If, OTOH, it was nothing more than saying 'look, write standard block letters and we'll make text' I think they would not have been sucessful.
I think the multi-touch patent is closer to the later. Where the gestures are obvious to the general population. If anything, i'd bet somewhere there's dev code with similar or identical gestures buried in the MS labs. Heck, what was that movie that was the first to make the public aware of multitouch? Prior art:)
I would very much support any company that did that. It's probably the only thing short of patent reform that could help the situation.
In fact, someone should find a wealthy billionaire campaigning for patent reform to set up a trust to do the above. Patent everything immaginable and publicly offer unlimited free license. Maybe that'll motivate someone.
I don't believe there's and distinction between corporate infringement and personal infringement at the moment. $150k for a single infringement is enough to financially ruin most people, never mind cases of multiple infringements. 150k for a big financial corp isn't much different than 20k - especially when they'll spend millions per month on advertizing. $20k might be pennies to a company making billions but it's probably a very nice chuck of money for an indie photographer like himself. Which side should the law favor? It might be $1mil (or more) before the companies finance department cares. Should he get paid that much?
Part of the reason he didn't get 150k is because he dropped the part of his complain that would have made the penalty available. He also failed to request damages based on the perceived financial gain the defendant made which could have upped his number significantly.
Overall I still don't think what the company did was worth $150k in damages. The guy got 20k which more than covers his time spent on this matter. Personally I don't think they should have denied him payment for 'legal fees' despite his representing himself but that's a different battle.
You fail to take into account one critical difference between the MAFIAA and this situation:
The offending company in this case used the copyrighted material FOR PROFIT. For the direct financial benefit of their company. And they WILLFULLY removed the copyright and digital watermak. Then the forged a notarized document and lied about it under oath.
If you did soemthing similar with your MP3 collection I'd almost be tempted to help the mafiaa track you ass down. Similies and comparisons almost always fall short on/. - if you want to try to make it more accurate...
It would be like downloading every metallica song, making a compilation CD and removing the copyright, attributing the music to another band and then using it as a promotional give-away as part of an advertizing campaign for your company. If you do that, then yes. You should suffer court appointed damages. Note this judge awarded about 20,000 USD. That, i feel is appropriate given the blatant copyright violation and commercial use. What I don't think is appropriate is 150,000 USD for downloading a song of P2P for solely personal use that the MAFIAA demand. Note they don't go for 'up to' 150k, they demand EXACTLY 150K.
So comments about how useless or simple or stupid or ugly his photos are... mean nothing. If it was so easily duplicatable then they simple should have taken their own picture for free and been done with it. Based on the fact that they didn't do that, the photo must have some value - even if it's the value of someone being too lazy to climb a few flights of stairs and take a picture.
Yeah, you can probably come up with - at most - a couple dozen gestures without getting unreasonable complicated. Guess what else? If you gave 100 other people the same task independantly you'd probably get at least 75% of the SAME gestures.
If Apple gets a pattent for something that essentially monkeys can create by doodling then how can anyone NOT see the begging for pattent reform?
To add to some comments from others, apple is not pattenting 'multi-touch' as an interface. They're trying to pattent the meanings of the physical patterns. (e.g. pinching to zoom out/in)
This isn't about apple's 'creativity' in designing a new interface. The interface has been around since the early 90's with various different mechanics. This seems more like them trying to take ownership of the limited number of blatantly obvious hand/finger gestures practical on a small to medium size screen. If granted, they essentially 'own' multi-touch even though they don't own and actual multi-touch interface. Yet another failure of our pattent system. Also a failure of many to realize that apple doesn't innovate much, they simple take existing technology and put it together in convinient ways (e.g. they bought the click wheel, they didn't develop it)
While they DO make innovative and 'sleek/sexy/cool' products it does not change the fact that they behave just like lots of other 'evil' companies.
I had one of those once. The beauty fades and you're left with something ugly that you desperate to get rid of. I'm just waiting for that to happen to apple.
Almost did already but then they gave everyone $100 retro-active rebates.
For algae, diesel is 4 bucks a gallon off by me. I still don't see any algae diesel pumps (nor have i heard of any algee farms contributing a noticable amount of oil). It'll happen eventually but I'd guesstimate we're looking at minimum 5, likely 10 years before algae oil accounts for 1% of the oil used. How fast it ramps up depends on competing technology.
re: hydrogen energy density - You're right and wrong at the same time. By weight, hydrogen has over 3 times the energy density of hydrogen. By volume liquid hydrogen has a bit less than 1/3 the energy. It's the catch that's been hampering H2. Still, generating H2 indirectly is another lossy conversion and not as efficient as direct electric power.
Solar is great for peak demand but outside of that it is inadequate. You either need a base load generator or some storage system. Your storage system efficiency then has a very large impact on the additional solar you need during the day. Wind, tidal, etc. are good niche power but have additional drawbacks.
I do agree that nuclear power is a Good Thing. Personally I think it's by far the best, cheapeast, SAFEST, and least polluting method available that can scale to handle 75-100% of our power needs until the more esoteric generation methods become available (fusion, space-based solar/microwave, etc.)
I wasn't aware of a efficient, comercial biodiesel algee in use. I've heard LOTS of theoretical or lab products. I don't believe we have sufficient spare organic matter currently to get withing an order of magnitude of what's necessary for butanol at the moment. This is all subject to change of course.
Your suggested improvements to the ICE aren't going to put it on par with an efficient commercial AC motor. In addition, the regenerative ability provided automagically by an EV has to be built into a combustion vehicle at the cost of mass and complexity (i.e. expense).
ICE and electric engine have been around vaugely the same amount of time. Compare the complexity, mass, efficiency and cost to manufacture.
Oh, and one other point. Electrolysis may be at >50% but you still need the electrical energy to begin with. You multiply your losses this way.
Either something is a freely accessible public document or it's not. Making it easier or more difficult to view is not directly relevant. Security through obscurity is not a long term solution.
Personally I think our government is far too involved, invasive, and overbearing to begin with. I'd be much happier if they did away with most of the tax, property tax and other nonsense. Yes, many government functions would go away too. Just pay for what you need. This "problem" of tax information being public woudn't be quite the same issue.
Along the same lines - Certified documents are just silly. The whole basis behind them is mistrust and the assumption that people will lie by default. The rest of it is just keeping the sheeple in line if you ask me. Why is a DMV clerk's rubber stamp more sacred than my word that a document is true? Heck, at least if I lie you (in theory) could come after me for doing so. That clerk is protected by layers of political BS and you'd have to prove GROSS FORGERY to get any action.
I've also owned a T43 (essentially the same as T42) and i agree. It's a great laptop. OFC it's going to be faster than the D420 as it's also significantly bigger and heavier, uses a 2.5" HDD and doesn't have a ULV proc.
I only gave up my T43 for a free D630. The D420 i have is still a nice ultra-portable. Maybe not the best, but my point was 3LB 13" screen laptops are nothing new. Or at least I think that was my pointin this post. 3PM friday = fried brain.
Treat it just like any other loud "music". If it's annoying people outside of the owner's property then let them file a complaint.
If I want to use a lightning generator on my front porch to disuade solicitors and it won't zap anyone on the street then tough luck. If I do zap someone, i'm on the hook for it.
HAHA. Good way to run up your electric bill though.
Granted if they figure it out you're on the hook for disturbing the peace and quite possibly harassment as that intentionally built to do nothign BUT annoy and harass them:)
He skipped the hand-on-bible part but didn't bush get on national TV and directly address every citizen of the USA and then proceed to lie, cheat, steal, and mis-inform every single one?
Yes, he wasn't under oath but in a fair, legitimate court system one could probably make a case against bush for treason at this point. Oh what I wouldn't give to see that happen and a firing squad do their work.
Haha. That'll be the day. No one would do such a thing because then the roles are reversend and someone else "storms out" they don't want the chance of being arrested in retailiation.
Sad, sad, sad. I remember when i was 10 years old i would walk off if i didn't like something. These are, in theory, grown men with the capability and responsibility for running our country.
I'm still kind of dismayed how we're even considering passing laws in obvious contradiction to our constitution and bill of rights. I'm also confused how we can have secret laws that no one is allowed to KNOW about. Worst of all, people seem to be using the wrong kind of box at this point.
Anyone want to lend me a few billion to go start (or buy) my own country?
Dell has had the D420 (and now D430) latitude line around for a while now. 3LB weight, fits in an envelope like the apple. This isn't new, it's just a fancy commercial from apple. I've had a D420 for a year or so now.
Lenovo is just following along too. What's next, a big announcement when someone comes out with a 42" LCD TV to take on the 42" plasma market?
But that doesn't tell the whole story. I'd say IBM sells a greater % of it's laptops to companies than say...HP or Toshiba. If a business owns computer equipment they're much more like to get warranty service since the IT department is there to help and also business users are MUCH more careless with their laptops. They didn't cough up 2 grand so they toss them around far more than joe college student.
Hell, I had a secretary fedex a laptop to one of my techs ones in one of those UNPADDED plasti-paper envelopes. The last time a friend send a laptop for me to look at he used 2 boxes of bubble wrap.
Actually those vending machines are probably contracted out and a 'license fee' or % tax chaged on the profit made. There are some very fine and shakey lines regarding things like this. I don't think it's WV law, I'm fairly certain this is federally mandated and it makes sense for many reasons.
As for your other question: The government can not hold copyright. Poke the copyright laws. Therefore any document created is either 1) public domain and available to all 2) public domain but with private information and thus controlled according to defined privacy law 3) classified with restricted availability.
FIOA has more details though i'm not likely to read more gov't law drivel for amusement that I have to:) If above weren't true, explain how FIOA works and why it exists.
Late response, but it's late, snowing and i'm bored.
The discussion wasn't about it being appropriate to release possible personal data in the maps. Remove the taxes, you remove the maps. While the taxes exist, the maps must exist. At that point it becomes necessary for the general public to have access if they need/wish to compare their taxation rate with others. This information, by government mandate/policy/whatever is public. "protecting" it because someone might use it for bad intents is generally bad policy i think. Honestly though, finding a $millions house on the hill doesn't require tax maps.
I'm fairly sure 'public document' is defined or inferred on a federal level as federal laws regulate how local gov't can operate. As for derivate works, I'm not sure. My guess would be the company would create and copyright/patent a system for accessing and culminating the information, but keep it independant. The judge essentially said M-F 8-5 paper copies are NOT sufficient. I agree. There's no reason why people should be forced to use something complicated, slow, costly, and archaic just because it changes status quo if there is a better alternative.
If the data is public, anyone can distribute it as long as they're not charging for the raw data (value add is different). As for your idea, what makes a copy official? Why does a copy even NEED to be official? No one is raising a stink about this company taking the maps and then changing data. If a company is going to re-publish this data then maintaining it's integrity becomes their responsibility. To continue, if the watermark doesn't have any impact on usefullness, why would anyone need one WITHOUT the watermark? This is simply an excuse to charge an extra fee for the document. I can not support that idea. All it does is serve to unnecessarialy concentrate power (information is power) to a smaller number of individuals.
A document is either publicly available or not. If something contains too much private information to be published then is should NOT be public. Your argument about related crime being low is entirely unsupported and frankly i think it's another fear factor cover for convincing the general public to follow along like sheep. If there were significant opportunities for crime here, they'd be committed yesterday, today and tomorrow.
This is the information age. I would kindly ask our government to start acting like it. Many companies and even professions have either adapted or died. I wonder which fate will befall our gov't.
I can't say i've purchased any "real" books as a result of webscriptios or the baen free library but I have purchased quite a few e-books i never would have bought (or found for that matter) in the store.
I've also gotten several other people interested in their books either via the free section or by passing on ebooks i've purchased. And before anyone cries foul - that is specifically PERMITTED (i.e. giving copies to friends of "non-free" books). Yes, just like a real book - I can let my buddy at work read my copy. The only thing they don't permit is re-sale. Oh, and they're a buck or three cheaper than paper books.
I think baen/webscriptions hit the nail right on the head. This is what online ebook, MP3, etc. should be like. I got bored once and looked for their books on P2P...found a bunch. And I just went back to the site to purchase from them anyhow. Tor needs to join in and do this right.
Slashdot Mirror
Besides the stupidity of the law...
:)
If I post anon how *preciscely* do you expect to levy fines if i'm anon to begin with? So it's only the people posting information (and thus in step with the law) that this could apply to and then they obviously wouldn't be guilty of violating it.
yes yes, you can add more laws requiring servers to track IP and other info but that's not what this law says
let's make a law that says it's illegal to go over 100MPH in a car that's not capable of doing so while we're at it.
Actually with the glacial pace of many approval processes 17 years isn't all that long (i'm aruging for removing red tape, not the insane length of patents) today. Heck, it costs something like a billion dollars and 2-5 (more?) years for them to bring a drug to market. Still, the attention span of consumers is so tiny that you wind up with patent trolls chasing down one tiny piece of something you made that infringes on somethign they dreamed up for a totally different purpose (and used it for that) 10, 20, 30 years ago.
That said, copyright makes an even worse mockery out of the system because time-to-market is negligable in comparison.
Actually the founding fathers knew they WERE fallible and WOULD make mistakes. That's why the attempted to build a 'self-healing' system. Unfortunately they were far more wise and had much more integrity than most people and especially corporation do today.
But hey, all they had to lose was their lives, families, and infant country. We've got $trillions wrapped up in this stuff today!
While I agree there is similarities and perhaps some merit in the comparison with Palm vs. Xerox there are also differences.
:)
Graffiti was a custom-created alphabet that was simple enough to learn and write but unique enough for the very limited processing power to identify. If, OTOH, it was nothing more than saying 'look, write standard block letters and we'll make text' I think they would not have been sucessful.
I think the multi-touch patent is closer to the later. Where the gestures are obvious to the general population. If anything, i'd bet somewhere there's dev code with similar or identical gestures buried in the MS labs. Heck, what was that movie that was the first to make the public aware of multitouch? Prior art
I would very much support any company that did that. It's probably the only thing short of patent reform that could help the situation.
In fact, someone should find a wealthy billionaire campaigning for patent reform to set up a trust to do the above. Patent everything immaginable and publicly offer unlimited free license. Maybe that'll motivate someone.
I don't believe there's and distinction between corporate infringement and personal infringement at the moment. $150k for a single infringement is enough to financially ruin most people, never mind cases of multiple infringements. 150k for a big financial corp isn't much different than 20k - especially when they'll spend millions per month on advertizing. $20k might be pennies to a company making billions but it's probably a very nice chuck of money for an indie photographer like himself. Which side should the law favor? It might be $1mil (or more) before the companies finance department cares. Should he get paid that much?
Part of the reason he didn't get 150k is because he dropped the part of his complain that would have made the penalty available. He also failed to request damages based on the perceived financial gain the defendant made which could have upped his number significantly.
Overall I still don't think what the company did was worth $150k in damages. The guy got 20k which more than covers his time spent on this matter. Personally I don't think they should have denied him payment for 'legal fees' despite his representing himself but that's a different battle.
You fail to take into account one critical difference between the MAFIAA and this situation:
/. - if you want to try to make it more accurate...
... mean nothing. If it was so easily duplicatable then they simple should have taken their own picture for free and been done with it. Based on the fact that they didn't do that, the photo must have some value - even if it's the value of someone being too lazy to climb a few flights of stairs and take a picture.
The offending company in this case used the copyrighted material FOR PROFIT. For the direct financial benefit of their company. And they WILLFULLY removed the copyright and digital watermak. Then the forged a notarized document and lied about it under oath.
If you did soemthing similar with your MP3 collection I'd almost be tempted to help the mafiaa track you ass down. Similies and comparisons almost always fall short on
It would be like downloading every metallica song, making a compilation CD and removing the copyright, attributing the music to another band and then using it as a promotional give-away as part of an advertizing campaign for your company. If you do that, then yes. You should suffer court appointed damages. Note this judge awarded about 20,000 USD. That, i feel is appropriate given the blatant copyright violation and commercial use. What I don't think is appropriate is 150,000 USD for downloading a song of P2P for solely personal use that the MAFIAA demand. Note they don't go for 'up to' 150k, they demand EXACTLY 150K.
So comments about how useless or simple or stupid or ugly his photos are
Yeah, you can probably come up with - at most - a couple dozen gestures without getting unreasonable complicated. Guess what else? If you gave 100 other people the same task independantly you'd probably get at least 75% of the SAME gestures.
If Apple gets a pattent for something that essentially monkeys can create by doodling then how can anyone NOT see the begging for pattent reform?
To add to some comments from others, apple is not pattenting 'multi-touch' as an interface. They're trying to pattent the meanings of the physical patterns. (e.g. pinching to zoom out/in)
This isn't about apple's 'creativity' in designing a new interface. The interface has been around since the early 90's with various different mechanics. This seems more like them trying to take ownership of the limited number of blatantly obvious hand/finger gestures practical on a small to medium size screen. If granted, they essentially 'own' multi-touch even though they don't own and actual multi-touch interface. Yet another failure of our pattent system. Also a failure of many to realize that apple doesn't innovate much, they simple take existing technology and put it together in convinient ways (e.g. they bought the click wheel, they didn't develop it)
While they DO make innovative and 'sleek/sexy/cool' products it does not change the fact that they behave just like lots of other 'evil' companies.
I had one of those once. The beauty fades and you're left with something ugly that you desperate to get rid of. I'm just waiting for that to happen to apple.
Almost did already but then they gave everyone $100 retro-active rebates.
Immagine if someone tried to pattent the double click? That's essentially what they're doing here.
For algae, diesel is 4 bucks a gallon off by me. I still don't see any algae diesel pumps (nor have i heard of any algee farms contributing a noticable amount of oil). It'll happen eventually but I'd guesstimate we're looking at minimum 5, likely 10 years before algae oil accounts for 1% of the oil used. How fast it ramps up depends on competing technology.
re: hydrogen energy density - You're right and wrong at the same time. By weight, hydrogen has over 3 times the energy density of hydrogen. By volume liquid hydrogen has a bit less than 1/3 the energy. It's the catch that's been hampering H2. Still, generating H2 indirectly is another lossy conversion and not as efficient as direct electric power.
Solar is great for peak demand but outside of that it is inadequate. You either need a base load generator or some storage system. Your storage system efficiency then has a very large impact on the additional solar you need during the day. Wind, tidal, etc. are good niche power but have additional drawbacks.
I do agree that nuclear power is a Good Thing. Personally I think it's by far the best, cheapeast, SAFEST, and least polluting method available that can scale to handle 75-100% of our power needs until the more esoteric generation methods become available (fusion, space-based solar/microwave, etc.)
I wasn't aware of a efficient, comercial biodiesel algee in use. I've heard LOTS of theoretical or lab products. I don't believe we have sufficient spare organic matter currently to get withing an order of magnitude of what's necessary for butanol at the moment. This is all subject to change of course.
Your suggested improvements to the ICE aren't going to put it on par with an efficient commercial AC motor. In addition, the regenerative ability provided automagically by an EV has to be built into a combustion vehicle at the cost of mass and complexity (i.e. expense).
ICE and electric engine have been around vaugely the same amount of time. Compare the complexity, mass, efficiency and cost to manufacture.
Oh, and one other point. Electrolysis may be at >50% but you still need the electrical energy to begin with. You multiply your losses this way.
Haha. Gold diggers!
Either something is a freely accessible public document or it's not. Making it easier or more difficult to view is not directly relevant. Security through obscurity is not a long term solution.
Personally I think our government is far too involved, invasive, and overbearing to begin with. I'd be much happier if they did away with most of the tax, property tax and other nonsense. Yes, many government functions would go away too. Just pay for what you need. This "problem" of tax information being public woudn't be quite the same issue.
Along the same lines - Certified documents are just silly. The whole basis behind them is mistrust and the assumption that people will lie by default. The rest of it is just keeping the sheeple in line if you ask me. Why is a DMV clerk's rubber stamp more sacred than my word that a document is true? Heck, at least if I lie you (in theory) could come after me for doing so. That clerk is protected by layers of political BS and you'd have to prove GROSS FORGERY to get any action.
Ha, good point :) But i'm only up for impeaching bush if we can get his henchma^^^^^^^ VP along with him.
I've also owned a T43 (essentially the same as T42) and i agree. It's a great laptop. OFC it's going to be faster than the D420 as it's also significantly bigger and heavier, uses a 2.5" HDD and doesn't have a ULV proc.
I only gave up my T43 for a free D630. The D420 i have is still a nice ultra-portable. Maybe not the best, but my point was 3LB 13" screen laptops are nothing new. Or at least I think that was my pointin this post. 3PM friday = fried brain.
Treat it just like any other loud "music". If it's annoying people outside of the owner's property then let them file a complaint.
If I want to use a lightning generator on my front porch to disuade solicitors and it won't zap anyone on the street then tough luck. If I do zap someone, i'm on the hook for it.
Why is that so complicated?
HAHA. Good way to run up your electric bill though.
:)
Granted if they figure it out you're on the hook for disturbing the peace and quite possibly harassment as that intentionally built to do nothign BUT annoy and harass them
Still, I like the idea quite a bit.
He skipped the hand-on-bible part but didn't bush get on national TV and directly address every citizen of the USA and then proceed to lie, cheat, steal, and mis-inform every single one?
Yes, he wasn't under oath but in a fair, legitimate court system one could probably make a case against bush for treason at this point. Oh what I wouldn't give to see that happen and a firing squad do their work.
Haha. That'll be the day. No one would do such a thing because then the roles are reversend and someone else "storms out" they don't want the chance of being arrested in retailiation.
Sad, sad, sad. I remember when i was 10 years old i would walk off if i didn't like something. These are, in theory, grown men with the capability and responsibility for running our country.
I'm still kind of dismayed how we're even considering passing laws in obvious contradiction to our constitution and bill of rights. I'm also confused how we can have secret laws that no one is allowed to KNOW about. Worst of all, people seem to be using the wrong kind of box at this point.
Anyone want to lend me a few billion to go start (or buy) my own country?
Dell has had the D420 (and now D430) latitude line around for a while now. 3LB weight, fits in an envelope like the apple. This isn't new, it's just a fancy commercial from apple. I've had a D420 for a year or so now.
Lenovo is just following along too. What's next, a big announcement when someone comes out with a 42" LCD TV to take on the 42" plasma market?
But that doesn't tell the whole story. I'd say IBM sells a greater % of it's laptops to companies than say...HP or Toshiba. If a business owns computer equipment they're much more like to get warranty service since the IT department is there to help and also business users are MUCH more careless with their laptops. They didn't cough up 2 grand so they toss them around far more than joe college student.
Hell, I had a secretary fedex a laptop to one of my techs ones in one of those UNPADDED plasti-paper envelopes. The last time a friend send a laptop for me to look at he used 2 boxes of bubble wrap.
Actually those vending machines are probably contracted out and a 'license fee' or % tax chaged on the profit made. There are some very fine and shakey lines regarding things like this. I don't think it's WV law, I'm fairly certain this is federally mandated and it makes sense for many reasons.
:) If above weren't true, explain how FIOA works and why it exists.
As for your other question: The government can not hold copyright. Poke the copyright laws. Therefore any document created is either 1) public domain and available to all 2) public domain but with private information and thus controlled according to defined privacy law 3) classified with restricted availability.
FIOA has more details though i'm not likely to read more gov't law drivel for amusement that I have to
Late response, but it's late, snowing and i'm bored.
The discussion wasn't about it being appropriate to release possible personal data in the maps. Remove the taxes, you remove the maps. While the taxes exist, the maps must exist. At that point it becomes necessary for the general public to have access if they need/wish to compare their taxation rate with others. This information, by government mandate/policy/whatever is public. "protecting" it because someone might use it for bad intents is generally bad policy i think. Honestly though, finding a $millions house on the hill doesn't require tax maps.
I'm fairly sure 'public document' is defined or inferred on a federal level as federal laws regulate how local gov't can operate. As for derivate works, I'm not sure. My guess would be the company would create and copyright/patent a system for accessing and culminating the information, but keep it independant. The judge essentially said M-F 8-5 paper copies are NOT sufficient. I agree. There's no reason why people should be forced to use something complicated, slow, costly, and archaic just because it changes status quo if there is a better alternative.
If the data is public, anyone can distribute it as long as they're not charging for the raw data (value add is different). As for your idea, what makes a copy official? Why does a copy even NEED to be official? No one is raising a stink about this company taking the maps and then changing data. If a company is going to re-publish this data then maintaining it's integrity becomes their responsibility. To continue, if the watermark doesn't have any impact on usefullness, why would anyone need one WITHOUT the watermark? This is simply an excuse to charge an extra fee for the document. I can not support that idea. All it does is serve to unnecessarialy concentrate power (information is power) to a smaller number of individuals.
A document is either publicly available or not. If something contains too much private information to be published then is should NOT be public. Your argument about related crime being low is entirely unsupported and frankly i think it's another fear factor cover for convincing the general public to follow along like sheep. If there were significant opportunities for crime here, they'd be committed yesterday, today and tomorrow.
This is the information age. I would kindly ask our government to start acting like it. Many companies and even professions have either adapted or died. I wonder which fate will befall our gov't.
I can't say i've purchased any "real" books as a result of webscriptios or the baen free library but I have purchased quite a few e-books i never would have bought (or found for that matter) in the store.
I've also gotten several other people interested in their books either via the free section or by passing on ebooks i've purchased. And before anyone cries foul - that is specifically PERMITTED (i.e. giving copies to friends of "non-free" books). Yes, just like a real book - I can let my buddy at work read my copy. The only thing they don't permit is re-sale. Oh, and they're a buck or three cheaper than paper books.
I think baen/webscriptions hit the nail right on the head. This is what online ebook, MP3, etc. should be like. I got bored once and looked for their books on P2P...found a bunch. And I just went back to the site to purchase from them anyhow. Tor needs to join in and do this right.