Laws against copying the whole database structure and scripts.

Hi,

I would like to know if there are laws in any state that prohibits anyone from using someone else's database structure and stored procedures. I would like to think that if someone's else got hold of my database and use it and sell a product that uses the structure, will there be a legal basis to sue that person or company?

I know that this sounds a little bit crazy but I want some light regarding this matter.

ThanksDon't let anyone into your database, use passwords to protect it.
Grant rights as appropriate. If you want people to get to a database through application but not directly to a database hash people passwords before login so they wouldnt really know their passwords. Never grant windows authentication.

I never heard of such law. If you let person into your database and let them view everything they probably can copy it.
You have to have patent for your work to protect your copy rights by law.

Good Luck.|||

Quote:

Originally Posted by lihard

Hi,

I would like to know if there are laws in any state that prohibits anyone from using someone else's database structure and stored procedures. I would like to think that if someone's else got hold of my database and use it and sell a product that uses the structure, will there be a legal basis to sue that person or company?

I know that this sounds a little bit crazy but I want some light regarding this matter.

Thanks

In my experience (and I am not a lawyer so don't quote me on it. If you need that go see one) the principles of copyright law demand that you can prove 'uniqueness' of a product entity to you. To have a script that creates a table of shall we say people in which there might be firstname, surname and so on, in itself would be impossible to prove as 'your' copyright because it is so generic.

If however over a thousand scripts comprising one system if it could be shown that the total number when taken together as a 'whole' shows uniqueness of 'the system' then you may have a case.

The protection of copyright (as distinct from patent) is invoked the minute an object is created by its author it does not require any other action, no court action, patent or anything else from my understanding.

Practically speaking you would need to ensure that 'uniqueness' is in your favour as the author and that this can be 'demonstrated' to a third party/external body (ie a court). Evidentially speaking this could be something as little as posting a document or other crucial proof of its existence, at a point in time, back to yourself on the day the object was created.

The process is always going to be adversarial... the outcome of which would rely on independant adjudication to determine who is the so called 'winner' no doubt from a very costly prosecution or defence of an 'action'

Regards

Jim