Hi again Ed (and listmembers) -- In this post are some more www sites that might help you and others on the list to understand these issues more fully when it comes to using genealogical research publications .... OR for protecting your own writings. ... and yes, I saw Marc Nozell's posting to the effect that the matter has been referred to RootsWeb. It would be worthwhile for the RootsWeb folks to eventually post something about their "official" position/policies vis-a-vis copyright in relation to genealogical information posted on or found on any Rootsweb page. I read further back in my "copyright" e-files and located the following helpful sites (I rechecked all urls today and all but one [as noted] are alive and working: (1) Library of Congress copyright "homepage" -- check it out at http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader to view PDF files there. --- see in particular, from the Copyright Basics link, (i) Circular#1 Copyright Basics -- defines who can claim copyright, how & when it is created etc etc and more. This material validates many of the "facts" I told you about in my first reply (that was also posted to the maillist). (ii) Circular#21 covering Fair Use AND Reproduction by LIBRARIES of copyrighted works -- plus more. (2) PC World Article on Clinton signing a new digital copyright bill (Oct 98) http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,8586,00.html (3) Article on Ancestry.com website about genealogical data & copyright -- but it must be read with the knowledge that the Oct 98 bill passage might have changed things since this article was first written -- some of the problems discussed still exist, I'm sure (e.g. just what defines "public domain data" and "fair use"). http://www.ancestry.com/home/bestofgc/principl.htm At the bottom of this article are the following links: *** The Copyright Website (http://www.benedict.com/index.html) -- currently active -- *** Of special interest here are the two pages on FAIR USE and PUBLIC DOMAIN -- get to them via http://www.benedict.com/basic/basic.htm The United states Copyright Office (http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright) -- active American Communications Association Copyright Page (http://www.uark.edu/depts/comminfo/www/copyright.html) -- this page is no longer active All in all, there is some considerable reading to be done -- but if you continue to write & publish, you should be as fully informed as possible. The www makes it possible to do this at a fairly minimal cost (your time and research skills). Best of luck...// Gord HINES (in Regina SK Canada) EHarr76546@cs.com wrote: > Subject: Re: Isn't this PLAGIARISM? And what do we do about it? Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 09:32:58 EDT From: EHarr76546@cs.com To: ghines@sk.sympatico.ca > Thanks Gord. The Rootsweb people are looking into the situation. > > Ed