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If you want to read the official laws of the state of Georgia, it will cost you more than $1,000.
Open-records activist Carl Malamud bought a hard copy, and it cost him $1,207.02 after shipping and taxes. A copy on CD was $1,259.41. The "good" news for Georgia residents is that they'll only have to pay $385.94 to buy a printed set from LexisNexis.
Malamud thinks reading the law shouldn't cost anything. So a few years back, he scanned a copy of the state of Georgia's official laws, known as the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, or OCGA. Malamud made USB drives with two copies on them, one scanned copy and another encoded in XML format. On May 30, 2013, Malamud sent the USB drives to the Georgia speaker of the House, David Ralson, and the state's legislative counsel, as well as other prominent Georgia lawyers and policymakers.
"Access to the law is a fundamental aspect of our system of democracy, an essential element of due process, equal protection, and access to justice," said Malamud in the enclosed letter. The law, he reminded them, isn't copyrighted.
[...] Georgia lawmakers' response to Malamud's gifts was anything but peachy. "Your unlawful copying... Infringes on the exclusive copyright of the state of Georgia," read the response letter, written by the chairman of Georgia's Code Revision Commission, Josh McKoon. "Accordingly, you are hereby notified to CEASE AND DESIST ALL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT."
[...] Now, the case has concluded with US District Judge Richard Story having published an opinion (PDF) that sides with the state of Georgia. The judge disagreed with Malamud's argument that the OCGA can't be copyrighted and also said Malamud's copying of the laws is not fair use. "The Copyright Act itself specifically lists 'annotations' in the works entitled to copyright protection," writes Story. "Defendant admits that annotations in an unofficial code would be copyrightable."
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 01 2017, @03:49AM (5 children)
Well, the whole issue is moot since no one in Georgia can actually read.
All they know how to do in RatLanta is build stadiums, reproduce like rats, and burn down bridges.
(Score: 3, Funny) by hemocyanin on Saturday April 01 2017, @03:52AM
Yes -- it is flamebait. But damn funny flamebait.
I've suggested we get "insightfunny" before, and to that suggestion, I'd like see "flamarious"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 01 2017, @05:08AM (3 children)
As a Georgia citizen I find that funny.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday April 01 2017, @08:04AM (2 children)
Hey! Are you using a screen reader or something? ('cause either you can't read or you are lying about being a true Georgian)
You know, the service provider that installed you the screen reader/voice transcription apps ('cause you wouldn't be able to read the screens of the install wizard, no true Georgian could), did you pay her/him? If so, s/he will need to pay sale taxes, even if s/he resides in other state.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Saturday April 01 2017, @08:28AM (1 child)
or you are lying about being a true Georgian)
Oh, no, here it is! We will have to add the "No True Georgian" to the "No True Scotsman", and, for those with memories as long as mine, "No True Ionian" Fallacies. Of course, they are all variations on the same thing, which is why it is a fallacy. But we can never say, "No True Cretan", since no True Cretan would tell the truth, and we know this because a True Cretan said that all Texans are liars. Wait, I think I got something wrong. . .
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Saturday April 01 2017, @09:43AM
> Oh, no, here it is!
You could add "No True Communism" to the classics.
If you stay around for some 20 or thereabout year, we may witness the No True Capitalism as well - what we have now is a pale "No True Free Market".
> Wait, I think I got something wrong. . .
Gimme a pale ale, mate, a true one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford