Re: Copyright in Bibliographic records?

["Paul M. Gherman" <gherman@library.vanderbilt.edu>]

OCLC certainly has copyrighted its database of  bibliographic records 
to protect the interests of its member libraries. (Some recall the 
heated debate some years ago between OCLC and the regional networks.) 
The data (facts) in the OCLC database represents a significant 
economic value to the membership of OCLC. Copying this data without 
payment or permission seems to me an obvious violation of copyright. 
Cataloging data is not just data, but intellectual work which most 
libraries pay their employees to preform.  

Paul M. Gherman
University Librarian
611B General Library
419 21st Avenue South
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN 37240
Office: (615) 322-7120
Fax: (615) 343-8279
gherman@library.vanderbilt.edu

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