The underlying issue here is the marketing and selling of intellectual
property paid for by the taxpayer. Everbody knows this but certain people
still want to make a dance around it. ICSD as well as ICDD are no charities
but package data of the public domain and sell the package with the data at a
price they think the market can bear. That is fine with me, no further
arguments.
But I am getting annoyed and frustrated when scientific exchanges on this
forum are 'policed' for ICSD and ICDD format. I have never seen anybody asking
expressly for atomic coordinates in ICSD format. The intent of all users is to
share crystallographic data - universal constants and parameters. And they are
public domain and nothing is 'pirated'! If the info comes as a reference
(which I always prefer) or happens to be in ICSD format, who cares? I am
convinced that any of the users here can get his hands on ICDS and ICDD data
really quick if he wants - nobody needs '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' for this. (For me)
the real value of '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'r' is the privilege to obtain sound and
up-to-date information quickly from experts in the field. I hope this
privilege remains without conditions.
L. Keller
CAMET Research, Inc.
Goleta, CA
