Re: Bug#451799: new evince cannot display Japanese characters correctly
On Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 02:43:34PM +0000, John Halton wrote:
> On 28/11/2007, Michael Poole <mdpoole@troilus.org> wrote:
> > Based on a quick look, these files establish a correspondence between
> > different character set encodings. Copyright protects creative
> > expression. What is the creative part of this mapping? I can see two
> > possible bases: character selection and ambiguity resolution.
> Can't speak for the US, but in the UK the standard for copyright
> protection is somewhat lower than "creative expression". Generally, a
> work merely has to be "original" (i.e. not copied from elsewhere).
> However, a file consisting of mappings of this nature probably
> constitutes a "database" under UK law (and in other EU jurisdictions).
> In that case it only attracts protection "if, and only if, by reason
> of the selection or arrangement of the contents of the database the
> database constitutes the author's own intellectual creation". I really
> doubt that this file would meet that test, or that it would reach the
> "substantial investment" test for the separate "database right".
> > That being said, I am not sure enough to risk it in court on my dime.
> > I would hope that Adobe would be willing to provide the data with a
> > DFSG-compatible license and/or a notice that makes it clear whether
> > they think the mappings are protected by copyright.
> Well, quite. What I said above only goes to show how complex copyright
> questions can become, and that's only looking at one jurisdiction. I
> find it hard to believe Adobe could or would assert copyright here,
> but I'm no more willing than you to be the one who tests that
> hypothesis!
FWIW, I believe a search of debian-legal archives will show that we've come
to the same conclusion before about copyrightability of non-creative
databases, and are already shipping a number of these in Debian.
Cheers,
--
Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/
slangasek@ubuntu.com vorlon@debian.org
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