Request removal of Bluebook 19th ed.

[fbennett]

As I have been warned off of attempting a full implementation of the Bluebook style by its editors, I will be suspending development for the present. The current version of the style is incomplete, and likely to cause inconvenience to unsuspecting users whom I am unable to assist. This has already happened, unfortunately:

http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/19675/bluebook-bbperiodicalsubsequent/

Accordingly, and with regret, I would like to ask that the Bluebook 19th ed. style be removed from the repository. I will retain a personal copy of the style, and if there is a change in the position, I will be happy to restore it to the repo, with any improvements made to it in the meantime.

[bdarcus]

As a point of clarification, exactly what is their objection to this style? Is it some issue about copyright around the use of the word "Bluebook" that we might be able to find a way around?

[fbennett]

You'd have to take that up with them directly. All I know is that I have been informed, through a legal intermediary, that they are unwilling to concede that I am free to fully implement the style as defined in the manual. I don't know the foundation of the position, or at what stage of development they might be inclined to take action. The mail address is posted on their website: http://www.legalbluebook.com/Public/ContactUs.aspx (editor@legalbluebook.com).

[etc]

I find it hard to see what basis there could be for this claim that wouldn't also be a basis for a claim against anyone following the specification by hand—which of course defeats the purpose of developing the specification in the first place. I am completely baffled.

[fbennett]

That makes two of us.

[adam3smith]

I've taken down Frank's style as requested - he emailed me and it's clear that he has thought about and knows what he's doing (+ he's the only actual lawyer involved in csl). Obviously I hope we can fix ridiculous state of affairs asap.

[fbennett]

Thanks! For clarity, this is a voluntary removal, and not a response to an immediate demand. The style that is underway is meant to be a full implementation, and there is a apparently a question mark over whether such a project, when complete, would give rise to objections. I hope to have clarification on that point in due course, but in the meantime removing the file to avoid inconveniencing users seems the best course.

[fbennett]

In the CitationStylist project, I've put up a Wisconsin Court Style, which implements conventions common in US legal writing. Small variations of this style are used across the range of US courts and legal publishers, and the style can be adapted to local needs. Like the other styles at CitationStylist, this one depends on some extensions to CSL specific to the project, so it can't be distributed via the official repo. It also depends on separately distributed abbreviation data that will be up pretty soon. So support for the US jurisdiction is again in prospect.

[rmzelle]

FYI, Dan put http://www.zotero.org/styles/bluebook-19th back into the Zotero Style Repository, although we scrapped it in the GitHub styles repo. See http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/2208/bluebook-lawreview/?Focus=114223#Comment_114223

[fbennett]

I think deleted styles hang in the cache over there. In any case, given the sullen silence from the other end since the initial flurry of correspondence with the style maintainers, it looks like this storm has blown over.

[adam3smith]

Bluebook 19th is no longer available on the repo. Closing this.