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Our company purchased a number of books (some are hardcopy...some are
on disc) that compile law abstracts year by year. The law department
wants me to build a database in Folio using the information in these
books verbatim.
<insert standard disclaimer here>
You could be up against something, here. Is the publisher involved West, by
any chance? West has been given a number of monopolistic privileges by the
government and is bucking for more. (They've been lobbying hard in support
of a recent copyright law revision which, among other things, would make it
a copyright infringement to cite the page number of their books a
particular opinion is on.)
If it's West, I'd hie me to an experienced copyright attorney (not of this
firm) for a second opinion, because copyright law isn't the only law West
has going for it. It might also be possible, since your client is a law
firm, to get an agreement from them that they have been informed of your
reluctance to do this and will completely indemnify you (and defend you) in
the event of a lawsuit over this.
Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224
Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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In God we trust; all others must provide data.
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Opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.
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