The Daily Signal: The state of Georgia has one, and only one, official set of laws: the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
There’s just one tiny problem for Georgia citizens who wish to know exactly what’s in the code: It will cost them hundreds of dollars to read it.
Why? Because Georgia copyrighted its own code and gave sole distribution rights to LexisNexis, a for-profit company. The state has since raked in tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of royalty fees every year, all for allowing its citizens the privilege of reading their own laws.
Worse, any good Samaritan wishing to distribute the state’s code for free should know that Georgia doesn’t take lightly to copyright infringement.
Take the example of Carl Malamud, who in 2013, working through his nonprofit organization Public Resource, purchased the entire set of Official Code of Georgia Annotated materials. He then uploaded scanned copies to his website, allowing the public free access without needing to purchase the $395 bound copy.
For this ghastly offense, Georgia sued him in federal court, calling his actions “a form of terrorism.”
Worse still, a federal district court recently agreed that Georgians do not have a right to freely access their own official legal code. It’s apparently enough that they can access the outdated and inaccurate unannotated code, which is not accepted as the state’s official law. read more
But just try to defend yourself in court by telling the judge you didn’t know the law.
This crap makes me seethe.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse?
Maybe that copy is strictly for lawers, a plain copy should be available at no cost.
“… freely access their own official legal code.”
Whose code is it?
I don’t understand. Are the people of Georgia the “sovereigns” of the State of Georgia or are the elected (and appointed) “officials” the “sovereigns” of the State of Georgia? In other words: are the people of Georgia SUBJECTS of the governmental apparatus, or are they MASTERS of the governmental apparatus?
These are not idle questions. The whole purpose of America was to throw off the yoke of oppression, not to exchange one yoke for another. If the oppressors are, through devious legalisms, placing another yoke around our necks, we have an obligation to shake it off.
Tis a pity that the people of the great State of Georgia think so little of their Liberty that they would allow themselves to be ruled by such.
izlamo delenda est …
The owners of the copyright are the citizens who paid for it. No public item should be copyrighted.
Want to use the U.S.Army logo on your website or veteran’s organization? You have to ask permission first. Screw that. We own the government.
Oh gads! Don’t let the US congress get any ideas to further their aristocratic standing. America has slipped back into tyrannical governance.
I wonder how many other states use this practice. Also, what is so important to Georgia lawmakers, that they want to ensure it is not seen by their minions/deplorable s? What have they exempted or given to themselves?
@Extirpates:
I respectfully suggest you read the linked article. Key points therein:
Nice revenue stream for the state, a poor service of representing the public by the state.
Georgia citizens put up with this bullshid?
Oh, come on! Even people born and inbred in Georgia can’t believe that what’s written in “The Law” matters in The Court.
Wow, that’s one of those southern speed traps you read about writ large. Takes a lot of gall. I suspect this one wouldn’t survive a trip to the SCOTUS.
feudaism
ooops
feudalism
Don’t laws, at least new or revised laws, have to be publicly posted?
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!
The “law” is public domain; it can’t be copywrited. Should be a slam-dunk in the courts.
I’m not a lawyer, thank goodness.
GA law can be accessed here:
https://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/gacode/
I think it is only the annotations that are copyrighted. But that effectively limits a defendant’s creation of arguement, if they can not afford to purchase access.
Maybe they’ll wind up, archived, in numerous places. A week or less, I bet.
We have way too many bullets for there to be this many judges, lawyers, politicians, and journalists.
Perhaps there is room for compromise in exchange for reducing the arsenal.
Georgia is a good place to be from.
I spent some time there when I was in the Army, but now I’m away from Georgia.
And it’s good.
🙂
This is typical political hubris. And it happens because there is NO CONSEQUENCE for the perpetrators of these crimes. When politicians and bureaucrats see pictures and stories of their colleagues STRUNG UP on lamp posts for engaging in this type of abuse they will stop engaging in it…..BUT NOT UNTIL THEN.