[WikiEN-l] Copyright status of GPS coordinates

[Andrew Gray]

On 11/05/06, Ben Lowe <ben.lowe at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm sure a lawyer such as Mr. Abramson or a font of knowledge such as Mr.
> Smith can confirm this, but it is my understanding that lists of factual
> information are ineligible for copyright; a work must be an "original work
> of authorship."  Phone books, for instance, are not eligible for copyright.
> I would imagine this list falls under the same blanket of ineligibility (an
> insecurity blanket?).

Lists of factual information *may* be ineligible for copyright *in the
United States* in circumstances where they are *definitely not
creative*.

There is, to the best of my knowledge, no precedent as to whether or
not this applies to material which was created and copyrighted in a
different jurisdiction; it's tempting to say that the ruling
essentially annuls noncreative foreign copyrights, but that would seem
to conflict (at the very least) with the spirit of a whole host of
copyright treaties. And the site in question is British, with less
lenient positions on what is the minimum level of creativity...

Just a note of caution.

-- 
- Andrew Gray
  andrew.gray at dunelm.org.uk