Surprisingly, USA Today's sports pages feature a story in which yet another copyright holder claims expansive protection over what most would consider the public domain (MLB takes hardball stance on Web sites' use of its data). Major League Baseball is now claiming rights over the facts and statistics of baseball:
Bob Bowman, who oversees Major League Baseball Advanced Media, says it's time to assert property rights: "One way to exhibit a live baseball game is TV. Then there's radio. The third is offering real-time data online. To us, there's nodifference." [emphasis in original]
A man who sees no difference between a television broadcast and real-time data lives in a fictional world. So I guess its appropriate that Bowman is on the World Wrestling Entertainment Board of Directors (Bob Bowman Named to Board of Directors of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.).
Unfortunately for Bowman, there is precedent for the opposing view: NBA v Motorola.
Unfortunately for citizens, not many are willing and able to challenge MLB in court.
via Techdirt