Re: when is collected data stolen?
" Probably not. If someone else reproduces her index, is that breach of copyright? Yes. The difference is the "added value" of her legwork."
Not a very good example. Often, compilations of factual information doesn't qualify for Copyright protection. The legwork involved wouldn't come into it. It might be a big stretch to call the work "creative expression". There was a case of a phone book company suing another phone book company for copying. They lost. The next time the company had made up a bunch of entries and managed to argue that those made the list a creative work and won the case.
All of that said, there could be something creative in the layout and surrounding design which would make it creative enough. Let's say the streets were color coded to show that parking was allowed on one side or the other or not at all. There might be a color code to denote that the pavements are wide enough for somebody in a wheelchair/mobility scooter. The more unique and creative, the better.
If I take a photo of a red brick wall, chances are slim that I could get a court to recognize a Copyright claim. There wouldn't be enough "protectable elements" in that photo. The same thing can apply to other textures. There is a certain minimum bar to call a work "creative". If your style of art is to glue a piece of pasta to a large white canvas, you aren't trying hard enough.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
