Re: [Paddlewise] Accident Reports Archive

>From: "skimmer_at_mail.enter.net" <skimmer_at_mail.enter.net>
>To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net
>Subject: [Paddlewise] Accident Reports Archive

>It is clear that information on specific accidents is easily lost or
>buried in many ways.  Once a case is reported somewhere, it is
>covered by copyright and becomes the sole property of the publisher.
>The story, in effect, has been "captured" and sequestered.  The
>information is lost to the general public.   Allowing authors
>to capture and bury stories that are crucial to teaching the general
>public about how to deal with the coastal enviroment should not be
>encouraged in my opinion.
>
>Chuck Sutherland

Chuck,
The newspaper writers do not have a copyright on the facts of a story, only 
on the words they have used to express the story. And that's fair, since 
that's how they make their living, interpreting stories for the public. If 
you (or any one else) wanted to write a summary in your own words of an 
event based on a newspaper story, that's legal - it is common courtesty to 
aknowledge your source i.e.  "This account is based on an article by John 
Wretchedhack which appeared in the April 32nd, 1999 edition of "The 
Cleveland Wheeler-Dealer"  You could also contact the princples mentioned in 
the story and write your own kayaker-perspective account, as Doug L. has 
often done.


Philip Torrens
N49°16' W123°06'

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