Thanks for the advice! I believe if I abstract specific information from the abstracts in the books I'll be safe? Such as page in the book, location in original records, date, X sold land to Y, witnessed by A and B, etc. I want to make sure I don't step on anyone's toes!! I've gotten quite a few requests, as I expected. I had to work today (usually my day off!) but you should all hear from me by the end of the weekend. Thanks for your patience! Jean Schorfheide Galloway, NJ aschorfheide@comcast.net -----Original Message----- From: John Ellingsworth [mailto:jellings@mail.med.upenn.edu] Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 8:23 PM To: DEKENT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [DEKENT] Copyright for land books Valda I think the copyright law is slightly more flexible than you point out; see the text of the law regarding fair use here: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html Also, you are correct that the format is copyright - able; but the actual data is not. For example, one could print a book containing all census information from Kent Co. for 1900, sell it, and copyright the format of the information presented within. The actual data, though, is not. In reference to the Kent County books from Willow Bend, the land records are _probably_ public property (gov't. records); WB has been entrepreneurial enough to place them into a book. Thanks, John Ellingsworth http://ellingsworth.org/john/ http://ellingsworth.org/pubring.pkr ----- Original Message ----- From: <Valdafam@aol.com> To: <DEKENT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 8:04 PM Subject: [DEKENT] Copyright for land books > Just want to remind you that the copyright for these land books is very firm > of any reproduction... including photocopies and producing electronically. I > called Washington DC about this new copyright and their answer was vague, as > is the law. But basically the information is not what is copyrighted here, > it is the format.... don't want to burst any bubbles, but I would hate to see > anyone get in trouble either. The fair usage law may not cover you. > Valda Hoennicke....valdafam@aol.com > > > ==== DEKENT Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political > announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, > etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. > Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 ______________________________