Vikki, the site for Berkshire Co., is not recognized for her email. Maybe someone can locate her and forward the following email. Hi Vikki: In order to keep from sounding as inept as your usual queries, I shall try to refrain. I hope I don't. I wholly understand your specs over what I refer to as "idiot innocent queries" on "my gramma Smith..." I also get such queries after being quite specific with regard to an Index of Names I posted from my gg grandpa's 1842 Journal in Ohio. I can't believe folks who think I could possibly somehow "know" about their people in Alabama, or whatever without a year, name or anything else. Oh well, I guess it is a shout to the universe and somehow someone does answer in spite of the chaos. It does happen so I keep the faith. Without further griping, I want to ask you this: Your site says there's a copyright issue over posting ... > "The series of "Vital Records to 1850" available here are now in the public > domain. There are only an additional two or three of these books available > for Berkshire County, none of which can be reproduced due to copyright law. > " > My question is this: What or how can copyright law be or supercede a public > record? Please tell me how this could happen, as my understanding is quite > clear that no one can own a copyright on a vital record in any form. > Thank you, > Francee Taylor, > Eatonville, WA

None of the books known as "The Vital Records" or the "tan series" that I own have a copy right notice in them. All were printed in the 1940 - 42 time frame by different printers. One "new" version printed by Picton Press (1997) has a Copy Right notice, how they do this is unknown. ......john ----- Original Message ----- From: <SOARSA@aol.com> To: <MABERKSH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2001 12:42 AM Subject: Where's Vikki??? > > Vikki, the site for Berkshire Co., is not recognized for her email. Maybe > someone can locate her and forward the following email. > > Hi Vikki: > In order to keep from sounding as inept as your usual queries, I shall try to > refrain. I hope I don't. > I wholly understand your specs over what I refer to as "idiot innocent > queries" on "my gramma Smith..." I also get such queries after being quite > specific with regard to an Index of Names I posted from my gg grandpa's 1842 > Journal in Ohio. I can't believe folks who think I could possibly somehow > "know" about their people in Alabama, or whatever without a year, name or > anything else. Oh well, I guess it is a shout to the universe and somehow > someone does answer in spite of the chaos. It does happen so I keep the faith. > Without further griping, I want to ask you this: > Your site says there's a copyright issue over posting ... > > > "The series of "Vital Records to 1850" available here are now in the public > > domain. There are only an additional two or three of these books available > > for Berkshire County, none of which can be reproduced due to copyright law. > > " > > My question is this: What or how can copyright law be or supercede a public > > record? Please tell me how this could happen, as my understanding is quite > > clear that no one can own a copyright on a vital record in any form. > > Thank you, > > Francee Taylor, > > Eatonville, WA > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB >