Good afternoon to all, I couldn't help but notice.....two posts, regarding the same subject; "Wilkinson County Mississippi Marriages 1805-1925" First I noticed the post...due to the early 1800s time frame that I am searching, and of course garnered my attention. Then in today's digest a post regarding apparently two books, same subject, and copyright. I normally do not wade into these....but in this case I'm making an exception. Having had to check on various copyright issues, and in the process of checking ....I had to check with several copyright attorney's...I think I can assist here. *S* This is the information that I found out about copyright law: Copyright....does not restrict knowledge. This law was never meant to do that. The info that is published, in a book, is not something that can be copyrighted. Copyright....only pertains to one's own effort, and....it's published presentation. IF...there's two persons who ...thru their own individual effort and from independent copies of public records....happen to transcribe the exact same public records for publication...the copyright for both research authors stands as NOT violated. Neither one can be construed as having violated the other's copyright. Now...if someone re-types (i.e. their effort) specific information from any publication it also falls into this same category. Information cannot be copyrighted. To violate copyright...one has to present each page exactly as the other has done and...used the same hard evidence or photos....NOT of their own research effort. Example: Stripped off the title page and inserted a new title page into the book ......with themselves as the author. To re-use the evidence or photos...the 2nd effort has to contract with the original sources....independently...BEFORE they can be used in the 2nd publication. As I understand the two posts...they are two separate persons, having worked with original documents.......and then published independently from one another. Apparently the 2nd...did not know about the 1st. So...no copyright infringement. Plagerism...is an EXACT wording from any publication, or body of work, and.... then claiming that wording as being one's own creative effort. Plagerism...or the prevention of the claim...is why we always list the author(s) ....of anything that we post here on the lists, and/or share privately. It also helps the rest of us...to be able to double check research sources. *S* Yes. I know that's a case of semantics...copyright vs. plagerism, but even so I thought that I would take the time to share it anyway. Lisa Grimes ----------------------- Researching: MOSS, BOOTH, GLASS, SHROPSHIRE and CAMPBELL All of these...at least passed thru WIlkinson Co. MS....1805-1840 ================================================== No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.487 / Virus Database: 269.13.27/1020 - Release Date: 09/20/2007 12:07 PM