2009/1/16 WJhonson@aol.com:
No one is stopping any American, from going to the repository where the originals items are stored and viewing them. You know this, I don't know why you keep pushing on that button, when it's clear that it's a non starter.
View!= scanning. Heh ever tried to have a conversation with a government depositry about scanning their stuff?
The companies are not trying to prevent people from viewing PD items. They are trying to prevent the viewing of their own copies of those items. Not the items. The copies.
They are free to do that. Just can't use copyright as a tool.