Value of Question Sets

• From: oilbaronsball <no_reply_at_yahoogroups.com>
• Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 03:56:25 -0000
• Message-ID: <apq9l9+df7p_at_...>

What are your views on the barriers to distribution of packet sets?  
I see two different possible positions on the matter.

1.  Once a tournament has been completed, the packet sets become 
public domain.  The packet sets are to be placed on something like 
the Stanford Archive for the use of anyone who wishes to download 
them.

2.  Once a tournament has been completed, the packet sets remain the 
property of the individual or organization that produced the packet 
set or ran the tournament.  The hosting organization has the right to 
charge a nominal fee or request a packet trade for someone else to 
acquire the questions, either in perpetuity or for a period of 
limitations like two years.

The second view is somewhat flawed because once the host organization 
sells one packet set, that set can be acquired from then on from the 
buyer.  This loophole is closed by not giving out the set at all, but 
that is not very productive.

ACF seems to subscribe to the second view.  They currently have the 
sets from ACF tournaments from 2000-2001 and earlier available for 
download.

Berkeley seems to subscribe to the first theory, as I was told they 
have put this year's WIT on the Stanford Archive.

What are your views?

Dan