[WikiEN-l] Google Earth screenshots

[Delirium]

Anthony wrote:
> On 11/27/06, Steve Summit <scs at eskimo.com> wrote:
>   
>> Wow.  That's very interesting.  I knew there was a lot of USGS
>> data out there, but I didn't know there was *that* much.
>>     
>
> Here's a list of most if not all of it.  Some of these are apparently
> proprietary though (they are listed as for viewing only - no
> downloading).
>
> http://seamless.usgs.gov/website/seamless/products/listofortho.asp
>
> Where the coverage is (only in the US, but starting to get a lot of
> cities), the resolution is really good.  That shot from Los Angeles
> was 0.3 meters (per pixel).  Some of the data is at 0.15 meters.
> Geocover 2000, on the other hand, which covers the entire globe, is
> 14.25 meters.  So outside the US most of the public domain imagery is
> not very good (I think, please prove me wrong!).

Is such satellite imagery copyrightable in the first place, in the U.S. 
anyway?  Isn't it just mechanical imaging of the earth's surface, and 
therefore no more copyrightable than a mechanical reproduction of the 
Mona Lisa is?

-Mark