IP: CRADA -- you can hear the rip (off)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2001 17:46:29 -0500 (EST)
> From: "Mike O'Dell" <mo () ccr org>
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: CRADA
>
>
> i've been concerned for a while now over the use of the CRADA
> by government agencies to selectively enrich private companies.
> the Network Solutions DNS goldmine was created by a CRADA, as
> was the Maptech monopoly on all NOAA navigation data.
>
> i did a google search on CRADA and found many, many others,
> many probably reasonable, some possibly otherwise.
>
> as a scheme for encouraging the development of a particularly
> risky new business sector, the CRADA probably a reasonable
> tool.  however, at least in the case above, there is no
> possible argument that the government needs to "encourage"
> the development and use of digital cartographic data which
> has already been paid for by the taxpayers.
>
> Maptech is making a fortune from republishing NOAA data
> after transforming it into a proprietary format they claim to
> control.  Maptech has exclusive access to this data, according
> to NOAA.  why anything beyond a decent web site is required to
> make the data available, however, is hard to understand.  in
> particular, NOAA recently awarded Maptech *another* monopoly
> on the vector database data used to create the raster charts
> (produced by scanning the mylars which produce the paper maps).
> So either vector or raster, you gotta go to Maptech to get
> the data you've paid for.
>
> How is this different from the Westlaw situation where
> they enjoyed a monopoly on publishing federal court
> records? I suspect it isn't, other than it hasn't
> gone to court yet.
>
> The real question worth muck-raking over is how many other
> CRADA deals have been crafted in the back rooms of government
> agencies, and how many of those are quietly creating new
> monopolies by diverting taxpayer-funded intellectual property
> to private gain?
>
>         -mo

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