Dear Ed My sincerest sympathies. What a rotten thing to do. Small comfort to know that you did the work and that it has helped innumerable people. Your message brought me up short in another respect. I researched, compiled and wrote a 200 pg "compendium of information" re the life of "A Mecklenburg NY Farm Family 1905-1919." I too distributed it to appropriate libraries and historical societies. (If I ever get my scanner hooked up I plan to offer it to the Schuyler Co Rootsweb site). Bottom line -- I never copyrighted it. Do you know how one goes about it? Again, sorry for what happened to you and thanks for the timely warning. Dee Watt Stratford CT (but forever an Ithacan) Searching Dickens, Kennedy, VanFleete