We were asked on another list as to the position on copyright of OPC data. We are quite happy to take the opportunity to explain our attitude to copyright as far as the Hampshire OPC is concerned especially as there has been an incident recently where we had to put a notice on our website after another webmaster copied some of our data. Although the original registers are in the public domain, there are several who claim copyright including Diocesan Authorities and Record Offices alike. What we do know is that a transcription from an original source becomes the copyright of a transcriber - but this does not pass to anyone who copies an existing transcription even if the words are slightly altered. The whole concept of the OPC is to make parish register and other data freely available to family historians who are genuinely researching their own family trees. We are totally against and will not permit wholesale sections of data being reproduced whether this is for commercial use or not. We have built in a few safeguards in the transcriptions so that we will be able to identify if data is being copied. We have no objection to individual transcriptions being placed on family trees provided due acknowledgement is given as you suggest, although we would add that the name of the individual transcriber is included as per the transcription page in question. However, if the data is later published for instance on the internet or in a book, we would expect that the publisher does seek permission beforehand. We would certainly not be unreasonable in this respect. Linda & Tony