Info Gathering and the Law
Access To Information
Private Sector Records
No Right of Access
For Example:
- financial records of privately held companies
- proprietary information
- personnel records in private organizations
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Limited Right of Access:
Information reported to Government
For Example:
- financial information of publicly held companies
- environmental compliance records
- financial institution records
Public Sector Records
Federal Government: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- Executive Branch and Independent Regulatory Agencies, but not Legislative or Judical branches.
- All records are public records unless the information is exempt.
Exemptions:
1. National Security
2. Internal Personnel and Practices
3. Exempt by Other Statute
4. Trade Secrets
5. Working Papers
6. Personnel, Medical and Similar Files
7. Investigatory Records
8. Financial Institution Records
9. Geological, Geophysical Data
State Government
Most states publish guides to their public meeting and public records laws. In Oregon, it is the Oregon Attorney General's Manual.
Copyright
- The creator of any original work retains control of the use of the work for a limited period of time.
Fair Use is the major exception:
- Purpose of the Use.
- Amount Used. -- the Heart of the Work"
- Potential Economic Impact of the Use
Copyright on the Net
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