> > I had a similar thing happen but before all these online trees. > > About 18 years ago I exchanged info with a cousin. I had created a > > small family genealogy based on my great grandmother's stories and > > sent her a copy. About 10 years later another cousin said she found > > this booklet written by a well know local genealogist that included > > our family. She bought a copy for me at $15. When I got it is was > > a copy of the booklet I had sent out with all the spelling errors I > > had. The only change was the title page which now bore the name of > > the other genealogist with no mention of me or my grandmother. I > > contacted the woman and she said she had no memory of corresponding > > with me. When I sent he copies of her letters including the one > > acknowledging the receipt of the booklet. She simply refused to > > talk to me. I often wonder how much of her reputation was built on > > work of other people. > > > > They only way to keep people from claiming your work as their own is > > to share with no one. And that negates the very reason we do > > genealogy. You cannot copyright dates as they are facts of records. > > > > You can copyright your narrative and try to sue anyone who used the > > narrative without your permission but that is extremely expensive > > and you would have to prove they had your work before they wrote > > theirs. Not easy. > > > > [email protected] > > or publish it first > and give copies to relevant libraries > > soon 71 years of age, my death is beginning to be foreseable so I > don't care what other people do with my data > > Hugh Watkins <[email protected]> You are still a young man. Hugh