Hi Laura, (I haven't seen you at the Hazelwood FHC lately.) In the USA, it is common practice to publish BMD information in the newspaper. When that is done the information is in public domain and may not be protected. However, it is common courtesy to not show living people. Since the 1930 US census is publicly available (available after 72 years in 2002), I consider 1930 a good cutoff date. When the 1940 census comes available in 2012, I will change to 1940. At 02:00 AM 12/1/2009, you wrote: >From: "Ron and Laura Bozzay" <rbozzay@earthlink.net> >Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] 100 year limit? >To: aberdeen@rootsweb.com > >There are some laws that protect privacy in various countries. From the >information Ray posted earlier it sounds like Scotland is not as >controlling about what can be published as some other countries. I guess >it depends on how litigious the folks in that country are. > >In the US census records are published every 72 to 75 years. Some states >are pushing to do what is being done in Europe which is the 100 year rule >because so many folks are living into their 90s and 100s now. > >I think you open yourself up for all kinds of issues with living people who >did not want their data listed on a web site that anyone can view. One of >my aunts had her identity stolen and my family is ultra sensitive to >publishing data on living people. (It was stolen from a govt agency of all >places!) > >I make it a rule to try to eliminate any one born after 1910 from my gedcom >at this time. I maintain two gedcoms. One that stays on my computer and >does not get uploaded anywhere. One that can be uploaded. >The one that can be uploaded has the missing people listed as male or >female child living. If I get a death date, then I go ahead and fill in >the details. I try once a year to update data for anyone born in the next >year. So in 2011 I will go up to 1911 and so forth. > >I know that there are many genie folks who will disagree with this >conservative approach, but I would rather not have the headaches of angry >emails or worse yet a legal issue arising out of privacy laws. I have >people in my gedcom from countries that strictly enforce the 100 year >rules. I heard from one of my genie friends, who is writing a book, that he >was told to remove anyone born prior to 1910 if the book will published >during 2010. >My understanding is that he was told this by his publisher, the LDS, and >his lawyer. We had a similar discussion on another list about this and >there is a lot of different opinions out there concerning it. I just >decided to take a conservative approach and then I figure I am covered. In >my experience, lawyers don't seem to agree on this topic within the same >country let alone trying to make sense of it in an international forum. > >Laura ____________________________________________________________ Become a Paralegal Start your paralegal career with an online degree. Free info packs! http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/c?cp=EBhnnnUUfiIyPv0nQXNw8QAAJ1HRPJtV0UPWIFV2n9W87NGdAAQAAAAFAAAAAD9ZHz4AAANSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVlMAAAAAA=