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From: jmc@Gang-of-Four.stanford.edu (John McCarthy)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Lotus Marketplace
Message-ID: <JMC.90Nov18190919@Gang-of-Four.stanford.edu>
Date: 19 Nov 90 03:09:19 GMT
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In-Reply-To: jjewett@math.lsa.umich.edu's message of 19 Nov 90 00:08:49 GMT

I think it is a mistake to put any restriction on what information is
kept in databases.  I think people have a right to know what
information about them is kept in databases offered for sale, have a
right to have references to rebuttals kept available to whoever uses
the database.  The way I would propose to make this right effective is
not by requiring the organization keeping the database do anything
other than attach numbers to the items.  The user of a database can
ask the public rebuttal database whether a rebuttal has been filed
to an item and then see it.

Items put in a database should be subject to the ordinary laws of
libel if the database is sold or made generally available, i.e.
the items should be regarded as published.

Beyond that a user of a database is responsible for any actions he
takes, e.g. denial of credit, whether he does it on the basis of
a database or for some other reason.