Copyright Results Sheets, etc

[BigFish]

Just read on <A HREF="http://www.insweep.com/">insweep</A> that some prat in the UK has got the high courts to make results sheets, etc the intellectual property of those who compiled them.

This sounds to me like someone is wanting to put a stop to websites (such as m-swim and pullbuoy) providing them as downloads. What do the rest of you think? Is this in the best interests of swimming in the UK? Am I over reacting (possibly)?

Does anyone know who brought this action to the courts in the first place?

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David Cuthbert (www.dartes.co.uk)
news@DaveC.org.uk

[Swimsite]

David, I can see your point on this, and I agree 100% with it! People will go to such sites to look for information, instead will we have to go through loads of links to other club webpages to find competitions to enter in? Ok there are other ways and means of finding competitions like Uk swimmer magazine which costs clubs money to advertise their competition. It doesnt make sence to me why people would want to stop it.

Robert O'Hara http://www.geocities.com/swimsite

[BigFish]

Okay, so I was over reacting ( but only a little) ;-)

According to the ASA website, this case was actually concerned with a horse racing database, but the ramifications affect swimming too.

I'm still concerned that this is simply not in the best interests of swimming. Horse racing has a lot of money involved in it, but swimming doesn't. Do swim meets make any money out of selling results sheets and programs? If not, why would they want to enforce this law?

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David Cuthbert (www.dartes.co.uk)
news@DaveC.org.uk

[Steve]

Hmmm. The ASA obviously think its a good idea.

DAVID SPARKES, Chief Executive of the ASA and ASFGB welcomed the landmark ruling in the High Court.

'This confirms what we always believed to be the case over our database copyright and makes britishswimming.org the most authoritative website for Swimming in Britain.'


I'd question how britishswimming.org is the most authoritative site in the UK for anything other than nationals results though. Even then you can't get the winter nationals results as the link goes nowhere...

Steve


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http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk (http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk/)
the UK swimming site

[mammamedley]

Does the ASA take bets?????!!!!!!
At least swimming would get more profile in Sporting Life!!!

[sub24]

As a Canadian coach and former swimmer, I grew up with Nick Thierry's 'Swim Magazine' which came to my door monthly. This magazine ranked all Canadian swimmers in each age group (10&under, 11&12, 13&14, 15-17) in each event. Nick now produces the World rankings with the International Swimming Statisticians Association, and publishes the top world rankings periodically throughout the year. If a country could convince all of the meet managers to send the results of their meets to him at www.swimnews.com (http://www.swimnews.com) it would be easier for everyone to see the results in one place, rather than a creative 'search' which leads inevitably somewhere interesting, but not where we'd like to be.

On another note; Track and Field also uses the Hy-tek system, but each coach has a Palm-top which instantly lets these coaches know how their (for example) shotputter did while they are working with another athlete If swimming would adopt this kind of technology we would no longer have empty lanes and have instant results. These results could instantly be sent to a website. How does that grab ya?

[Chris]

Nice to see you in here Sub24 (some reference to your past swimming performances I guess http://www.swimclub.co.uk/ubb/biggrin.gif)

We've just recently got the Hy-Tek software - Meet Manager and Team Manager. I was thinking the other day that competition entries and the maintaining of rankings nationwide would be so simple if everyone used this software. I'm just learning how to use it at the moment, but I love it already!!!

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Chris (Webmaster)
Beau Sejour Barracudas Swimming Club - Guernsey
http://www.barracudas-sc.org.gg/

[This message has been edited by Chris (edited 24 April 2001).]