Two $5,000 RECAP Grants Given Out In Memory Of Aaron Swartz For Improvements In RECAP
from the finally! dept
Back in January, we had mentioned that Aaron Greenspan had offered up three $5,000 grants in memory of Aaron Swartz, for certain key improvements to RECAP, the browser extension that automatically uploads PACER documents to the Internet Archive, making them publicly available. The Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton — where RECAP was initially developed — and Greenspan have now announced that two grants have been awarded: one for creating a Chrome browser RECAP plugin and another for extending the capability to work with the appellate courts as well. While it’s cool that these grants have been given out, it’s even cooler that RECAP is now available for Chrome. If you’re a PACER user and a Chrome user, go get the plugin now…
Filed Under: chrome, grants, legal documents, pacer, recap
Comments on “Two $5,000 RECAP Grants Given Out In Memory Of Aaron Swartz For Improvements In RECAP”
I’m still waiting on the full opinion to come out in White v. West. The judge sided with West almost two months ago and promised an opinion “in due course.” Link: http://ia600809.us.archive.org/29/items/gov.uscourts.nysd.392336/gov.uscourts.nysd.392336.79.0.pdf [Link found using RECAP, by the way.]
I presume that the judge thinks that West reproducing the files from PACER is protected by either implied license or fair use, since those were the only defenses raised and briefed. That opinion will likely give much needed legitimacy to RECAP by extension, I should think.
IP law needs only one improvement, total abolition
Re: Re:
I disagree. However, wholesale reform at minimum is absolutely necessary.
Here’s my proposal:
1) The creator gets all the rights, and they’re non-transferable;
2) Copyrights and patents to last a maximum of 3+5 years, except in the case of the creator’s death, in which case, the copyright ends after two years from the date of the creator’s death.
3) Severe punishments for copyfraud (which will be somewhat easier to spot, seeing as, if it’s not the creator of the work…);
4) Slower patent applications, and a 6-month-to-prototype rule – if there’s no prototype after six months, the patent is automatically invalid – moreover, you cannot sue a person/company during this period.
…That should solve a few problems.