RE: [dvd-discuss] Copyright ranges

["Robert S. Thau" <rst(at)ai.mit.edu>]

Thomas Olsson writes:
 > > The output of a search engine is the result of a mechanistic
 > > process -- nothing is really _generated_ by this, it is
 > > _collected_ and presented.  I would say that the results of
 > > Google searches would not be copyrightable.
 > 
 > It shouldn't be, but Google would disagree with you. They have put "© 2002
 > Google" at the bottom of each and every result page. In effect, they claim
 > copyright on all possible permutations of output, even the ones that have
 > never been published. I'm pretty sure the "2002" increments automatically
 > when appropriate, so it is also eternal.
 > 
 > Something is wrong with this. Of course the notice itself doesn't mean
 > anything, it just shows what they believe their rights are.

Either that, or they're claiming copyright in the graphical and other
indicia on the page (the large logo up at the top, and the theme-day
variations, the "Goooooogle" pointer to other pages on the bottom, the
particular arrangement of other UI features, the messages as variously
expressed in English, French, Tamil, Pig Latin and Swedish Chef) ---
more generally, the templates that the google tables fill in with
their mechanicall generated results.

A copyright claim in these would still be debatable, but they were at
least generated by a human...

rst