[WikiEN-l] Millions for salaries, not one cent for defense

[David Gerard]

On 21 July 2011 20:28, Stephen Bain <stephen.bain at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 3:03 AM, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:

>> I have just suggested on internal-l that someone give JSTOR a call,
>> giving them the chance to look good by releasing this stuff
>> themselves. Given that US law is utterly and unambiguously against
>> them having *any* control via copyright over this stuff, no matter
>> what silly deals they may or may not have signed with the Royal
>> Society.

> Any action here would be in contract (for breach of the terms and
> conditions), not in copyright.


Indeed. But everyone would be happier if JSTOR stopped trying to
enclose the public domain.

It would be nice for various purposes if this question didn't come up,
but events are well ahead of any such blissful state of undecidedness.
I expect quite a few uploads of public domain content from JSTOR in
reasonably short order. The only thing is that every uploader needs to
check every scan for JSTOR additions or manipulations that may be
intended to claim a new copyright. (Though this would arguably involve
misstatement on JSTOR's part that the document was actually what they
claimed it was.)


- d.