Factual databases are everywhere. They include sports statistics, real estate listings, TV broadcast schedules and the white pages of the telephone book. For supporters of H.R. 354, such as the New York Stock Exchange, the opportunity to charge every time someone makes use of such a database represents an enormous financial windfall. Vast amounts of factual information are now freely available in American society. In many cases the public has already paid for the data before it is compiled and packaged in a database.
Most scientific research is funded by taxpayers.
Sports fans have already paid for sports statistics by buying tickets and building stadiums. Yet Congress is willing to give a few database controllers the legal power to own factual knowledge when the effect of such monopolies will be an enormous tax on the public. Any ''substantial'' use of facts without the consent of the database owner can result in huge legal liability. Everyone benefits from freedom of access to factual data, but the issue is of critical importance to scientists who depend on using a wide variety of data sources to advance knowledge. In fact, the advancement of science depends directly on the availability and use of data compiled by other scientists.