John sez, “NextBus Information Systems, (confusingly distinct from NextBus, Inc.) claims ownership of SF MUNI’s arrival time data. The company persuaded Apple’s App store to remove iPhone applications that told San Francisco users when their bus was coming. Muni spokesperson Judson True says the data is free to reuse and remix, but no word on when the application will reappear.”
Yup, it’s true, it’s hard for Apple to adequately assess the conflicting claims about proprietary rights on the iTunes Store. Say, I’ve got an idea: what if they stopped playing mad pope emporer of your telephone and let you install any code you wanted on your property?
As for the sleazebags who shake down programmers by claiming to own the rights to Muni arrival times, someone needs to give them the “Hey, dipshits, facts aren’t copyrightable,” speech and a smack upside their collective heads.
Does A Private Company Own Your Muni Arrival Times?
(Thanks, John!)