[CrackMonkey] Your tax dollars at work

[Seth David Schoen]

Don Marti writes:

> begin  Seth David Schoen quotation of Tue, Apr 24, 2001 at 09:32:25PM -0700:
> 
> > Be the first on _your_ block to be sued by a transit district for
> > copyright infringement!
> 
> Be the first on your block to FOIA (yes, it's a verb) government source
> code.

Ooh, that would be interesting.

I think CPRA is a lot more binding on the Bay Area Rapid Transit
District than FOIA.

The particularly troubling thing is the following provision of CPRA:

6254.9.  (a) Computer software developed by a state or local agency
is not itself a public record under this chapter.  The agency may
sell, lease, or license the software for commercial or noncommercial
use.
   (b) As used in this section, "computer software" includes computer
mapping systems, computer programs, and computer graphics systems.
   (c) This section shall not be construed to create an implied
warranty on the part of the State of California or any local agency
for errors, omissions, or other defects in any computer software as
provided pursuant to this section.
   (d) Nothing in this section is intended to affect the public
record status of information merely because it is stored in a
computer.  Public records stored in a computer shall be disclosed as
required by this chapter.
   (e) Nothing in this section is intended to limit any copyright
protections.

(via Leginfo)

I suppose _how they decided on the license_ would be a matter of
public record.

-- 
Seth David Schoen <schoen at loyalty.org>  | And do not say, I will study when I
Temp.  http://www.loyalty.org/~schoen/  | have leisure; for perhaps you will
down:  http://www.loyalty.org/   (CAF)  | not have leisure.  -- Pirke Avot 2:5