Re: Value of Question Sets

Suzy <*longhorn_suzy_at_longhorn_suzy.yahoo.invalid*> · Thu, 31 Oct 2002 04:26:43 -0000

This is something I'd also be very interested in knowing, for the sake
of the Stanford Archive.  Whilst redoing the Archive, I put up my
(hamhanded, uninformed) statement of what I thought the general
copyright rules were.  I just thought we should go on record as
saying, "No, it's not ok to charge high school students exorbitant
amounts of money to play on these questions that have generously been
made available to us for free."

I don't think packets default to the public domain even if the
organization allows them to be posted to the Archive - the situation
seems to be analogous to content posted in a freely accessible online
publication.  The copyright owner certainly retains some rights. 
Since I am nowhere near a lawyer or law student, I'm going to stop
that train of thought right now before I get further behind.

That said, if someone who *is* more familiar with legal matters would
like to help me draft a better statement for the Archive that
concisely explains what rights the organizations who own the packets
retain, and what is and is not considered fair use of the packets,
that would be wonderful.

suzy

--- In quizbowl_at_y..., oilbaronsball <no_reply_at_y...> wrote:
> 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