This is the guy who has been tirelessly maintaining the timezone database for the past 25 years. You might not know about this, but timezones change a lot, so it's quite a bit of good work. If you use any Linux or OS X system today, chances are you're using the ADO timezone database.
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Java includes it too. Even if your system has it natively, Java includes a separate copy.
Tcl includes it too.
I wonder how this really _impacts_ ACS Publications. If they're just defending their work for the sake of exercising their copyright, perhaps they should have chosen to license the work to the DB. Especially considering the volunteer effort that the freely available Olsen TZ DB has been.
It has been a long time since I took an IP law class, but my hazy understanding is that you don't have to defend copyright unless you want to. Trademarks can of course be ruined if they turn into generic terms. But I don't think that's true for copyright; I believe old infringement doesn't keep you from pursuing new infringement.
I think its exactly that. Its just copyright for the sake of copyright. As if Olson got stinking rich from tz_data.
I understand the copyright issue. It could be freely licensed though, and in fact generate goodwill rather than friction and lawyer fees.
I think its pretty obvious how it impacts them. If the free and public database didn't exist, anyone who needed accurate timezone information would be buying it from them.
I'm not saying its right or wrong. Just pointing out they can absolutely show lost revenue.
PHP also ships the Olson database. It's just everywhere, and for good reason: it's brilliant work.
Any computer, anywhere, in any programming language, on any platform uses it because it's the only one there is.