Can you alter the MIT license?

[Justin Wells]

On Mon, Nov 15, 1999 at 12:45:34PM -0800, Bruce Perens wrote:
> From: "Scott Johnston" <johnston at vectaport.com>
> > A better example is Bruce Perens GPL'ing of the
> > public domain TIGER map database last year from the US Census Bureau.
> 
> I am skating on thin ice on that one because it's a collection of facts
> and not in itself copyrightable under current law. Thus you should not use
> it as an example. I can hold a copyright on certain aspects of the data,
> such as its representation, but I can't copyright the fact that a street
> runs between two coordinates.
> 
> 	Thanks
> 
> 	Bruce

<offtopic>
How far can you go with this notion that you cannot copyright a fact? Can you
copyright the arrangement of chess men on a chess board? (In other words, can 
you copyright a chess problem?) 

If you cannot copyright that, then how can you copyright the arrangement of 
letters on a page? There is a large but finite number of combinations in 
both cases, so what would the difference be?
</offtopic>

Justin