Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!agate!eos!shelby!msi.umn.edu!cs.umn.edu!kksys!com50!craig From: craig@com50.c2s.mn.org (Craig Wilson) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Phone privacy question. Message-ID: <1991Jan2.132450.24699@com50.c2s.mn.org> Date: 2 Jan 91 13:24:50 GMT References: <6550@crash.cts.com> <1990Dec30.050234.5982@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Organization: Com Squared Systems, Inc. Lines: 18 In article <1990Dec30.050234.5982@ddsw1.MCS.COM> zane@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Sameer Parekh) writes: > Could someone take a scanner and scan the phone book into a computer >and then use some sort of OCR and then they can put that into a database. . . >Then if you call someone (and they have caller-ID) they will know your name >and address too? >-- >zane@ddsw1.MCS.COM They probably could, but why? U.S. West will sell the telephone book electronically, now. Based upon how much you want to pay, you can get a little information or a lot. You can keep your list current by just ordering new connects, occasionally. Actually, scanning the phone book might be a copyright violation whereas buying the lists from the phone company will grant you certain usage rights. /craig