Dangerous Precedent: State Copyrights Its Laws To Keep Citizens From Free Access

‘Georgia — Carl Malamud is a law advocate, but not the kind who represents plaintiffs or defendants in a court of law. No, Malamud is a proponent for the free access to one’s ability to read the law. Sounds simple right? Unless you live in Georgia, that is.
Georgia has copyrighted its state law also known as the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA). The OCGA IS THE LAW in the State of Georgia. In fact, when bills are introduced in the Georgia State legislature, they seek to amend the OCGA. Sure! If you want to read Georgia law statutes, you can visit the State’s website (www.legis.ga.gov), and read a free copy of the abbreviated law, but you won’t be able to read the annotations which correspond with each state statute. And those annotations contain the court decisions and precedents which help to write the law.
In other words, the free copy isn’t the real deal and it isn’t complete enough for Malamud who believes everyone has a right to know the laws that govern one’s life.’
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