Carl Malamud thinks this is outrageous and has begun publishing copies of California laws online. This isn't the first state he's taken on. He's already convinced Oregon to abandon its claim of copyright over its laws. Head over to his site to download some law or make a donation. You can read a bit more about his quest here. Via.
I haven't watched it yet, but here's a talk Malamud gave at Google in 2006:
*Previously: Cupcake shop claims exclusive rights to selling cupcakes with two circles on top.
*Buy Kim Stanley Robinson's terrific Three Californias at Amazon.