Can you alter the MIT license?

[Alex Nicolaou]

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.

Can you provide a reference that explains this? As I understand
copyright law, you most certainly can copyright your particular
collection of measurements that make up your map database. 

It certainly is true that you cannot stop me from going and making the
same measurements and reporting my version.

However, you could probably stand up in court and say "He must have
violated my copyright because it is inconceivable that all of his
measurements should be exactly the same as all of mine, since
measurement is subject to error. Thus, he has copied my work in its
entirety, and has violated my copyright."

alex