Re: Unix Time Zone Format
On 2011-10-07, Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> wrote:
> Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au> writes:
>
>> That will be good, but we still need to make a lot of noise about this.
>> It's ludicrous that any idiot with a lawyer can bring down a resource
>> like the site hosting Olsen timezone data, even temporarily.
>
> ado took the site down voluntarily (almost certainly), so there's really
> nothing to protest other than the concept of damages for ongoing
> infringment after notification, about which making a lot of noise will do
> precisely zero. It looks like the tz database was an innocent bystander
> in a legal fight between two other companies and the whole thing will blow
> over once that's sorted out and the actual nature of the tz database was
> established.
Who are the two companies? However, I do disagree that there is no point
in making a show. Those companies need to realise that there are
consequences to their involving others in their battles. It is like a
war in which civilians get killed-- it is less likely to happen if
people know it is happening.
>
> All you're going to accomplish at this point by making a lot of noise is
> to make life even more difficult for ado, so please don't. Please
> remember that he was using a server at his job for this (a US government
> server, no less), so he's going to be maximally careful about not turning
> this into a problem for his employers.
Have no idea why his employer should not be defending him.
>
> Once all the details are out and the case is either resolved or there's
> some clear idea how we can help is the time to make noise if it's
> appropriate then. Right now, lawyers from the IETF are already involved
> and the EFF has already been notified, and those of us who are
> well-meaning but don't know how to properly handle the specific legal
> situation should really just be quiet and let the lawyers handle it.
This is more than just a legal issue. That database is too important to
simply be left for the two unkown dissputants to settle between them. I
think they need to know that that is the case.
>
> --
> Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
>
>
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