Can stats and figures be copywrited?

[Dougie Sal]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but can horse racing stats be copywrited?

For example, let\'s say Bobby Frankel has a 24-10-4-5 record with all starters at Oaklawn Park. Would you be able to reprint that in a book or website or publication?

I always assumed you could. The Jim Mauzer (sp?) books seem to be nothing but stats. I wonder if Equibase would have a legal right to do something against him?

As far as beyer figures and thoro-graph figures go---I would assume they are copywrited. Let\'s say you have someone selling a tout sheet, and he does his handicapping off of thoro-graph sheets, and in his analysis he gives out previous figures for different horses...I would assume that would be illegal. Can someone clear stuff like this up for me?

[BitPlayer]

I\'m no intellectual property lawyer, but I think the issues you raise are more complicated and controversial than you might guess.  Here\'s a link to an article that talks about a similar issue relating to Major League Baseball stats:

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1109128216973