ONTARIO-L Archives

Archiver > ONTARIO > 2002-01 > 1011010094


From: "Adrian Donley" <>
Subject: Re: [Ont] Ontario BMD Database
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 23:08:14 +1100
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020113204921.00afae70@pop.etob.phub.net.cable.rogers.com>


Let me add to the copyright confusion....

Have a look at the message placed on the forum back on 8 April 2001 by Steph
Eddy regarding the ins and outs of copyright. The main points she brings up
are these:

1) FACTS are not copyrightable (i.e. names, dates, where someone was buried,
born, etc).
2) STANDARD FORMATS are not copyrightable.

My guess is that the OA would claim that their Index listing is not a
"Standard Format" and therefore copyrightable...
I believe that the only copyright that the OA could lay claim to would be
over their "Non-standard Index listing format" and the internal reference
codes they use -- to prevent someone from simply copying the Index listings
in their current form and putting them into a web-page or database, etc.

HOWEVER ... since these indexes also contains FACTS, these facts are not
copyrightable - so there should be nothing stopping someone from
transcribing (i.e. not simply copying) the public-domain FACTS in them into
another format (leaving out the OA internal reference codes) and placing
them on a website or database (in fact, there are plenty of examples of this
on the web today).

Also -- there was an attempt made at putting the Ontario BMD records online
about a year ago -- including getting permission from the Ontario Archives.

The website was:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~onvsr/

but it fizzled out about 6-7 months ago. Pity.

Adrian

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Porteous" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Ont] Ontario BMD Database


> Hi again Ron.
>
> After reading Brian Gilchrist's email, I realize I should have mentioned
> that there may be legal/copyright issues too... As a matter of curiosity,
I
> wonder who holds the copyright to the BMD indeces...?
>
> Cheers.
> --Doug



This thread: