Re: Switching alarm system - can I convert my database?

["Robert L Bass" <RobertLBass@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> The conversion could pretty much be operated, but this would require
tools if we want to clone existing cardholder and zone information and
insert into the new system.

> Although the "data" belongs to us, it might be hard to extract (short of
cutting/pasting) without infringing on the EULA.  The practice is known
as vendor "lock-in", e.g. software systems which manage patient medical
data.  If the company/doctor stops paying the fees, the data remains
inaccessible.

Here's an excerpt from a related case:

"Wiredata sued the municipalities in Wisconsin state court in an attempt to force them to divulge the data; those suits are still
pending. Alarmed by Wiredata's actions, AT brought suit against Wiredata to stop it from demanding that the municipalities give it
access to the data. AT also sought to enforce its copyright, claiming that the data cannot be extracted without infringement of its
copyright or theft of its trade secrets."

"The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin held for AT and issued a permanent injunction on the basis of AT's
copyright claim alone, without reaching the trade secret claim. On November 25, 2003, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit (Judge Richard Posner writing the opinion for the three judge panel), reversed and remanded with instructions to
vacate the injunction and dismiss the copyright claim, holding that extracting the data from the database incorporated does not
constitute copyright infringement."

The appelate court essentially said that the author of the database has no property rights to the data stored in it.  In short, go
ahead and extract your data.  It's not a problem.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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Bass Home Electronics
941-925-8650
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
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