Halloween greetings on this Reformation Day,
For those who are leaning toward support of Mr. Love's proposal and
those who have not yet decided, in keeping with the season, I offer this
horror story:
1. The proposal is adopted and all cases after April 1, 1995 must be in
vendor neutral, government-mounted databases. West possesses all rights
to its headnotes, synopses, and all page numbers after the initial page of
each case.
2. Fissures develop on the board at West about how to respond; family
members there decide that their differences have become intractable; and
they agree to sell the company and split the proceeds.
3. Offers are considered from Thomson, Victor Posner, Ted Turner, Frank
Lorenzo, Rupert Murdock, Sony, the I-Hate-All-Lawyers Company, and
others but the highest bid, from the Simon LeGree Publishing Company, is
accepted.
4. A week prior to April Fool's Day, everyone on West's mailing list
receives a piece of certified mail: "NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
copying of all intellectual property belonging to the Simon LeGree
Company (successors to West) which includes all headnotes, synopses,
other-than-initial page numbers, digest blurbs, statutory annotations etc.
must be cleared in advance through the Copyright Clearance Center and a
$3 fee must paid for each item, section, key number or editorial. Infringers
will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and a reward of 10% or
$300 whichever is greater will be given to the blah, blah, blah....
5. As the head of the organization is told about this development, her/his
face begins turning a bright red, neck veins begin popping, trembling
becomes visible, steam puffs out of the ears and a glassy look sets in.
Finally, s/he bellows, "Oh my God! What did you do to prevent this,
Librarian? You never told me that something like this could happen?
This is a disaster! I play mahjongg with Hilary Clinton every week: I might
have been able to stop this thing before it was too late. You're
FINISHED, and if I have anything to say about it you'll never work in this
town again. Blah, blah, blah..." [Fade to black].
This is not a pretty picture.
........................................................................
Terry Seale "Here I stand."
sealet@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us --Martin Luther
........(c)1994.........................................................
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