Marilyn, You said it much better than I. I have also considered writing a book on my cemetery and census compilations but this information is so precious - to me anyway, that I just can't go that route. Some people can afford the books, lots can't, or don't know that the book is even out there. I feel so much better putting it on the county or town websites for everyone to share. I agree that when some take your information verbatim without credit given is a little irksome - I've found some of my information on different websites too. I have to tell myself that its for a good purpose and go on my way. What I have found with the attorneys that I've consulted with is providing proof that your copyright was violated. Not that easy when doing a family tree, compiling census information or cemetery info, etc. Most of us use the same formats, so who's to say that they did or didn't do it first? Interesting conversation. Rene' -------Original Message------- From: NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com Date: 03/19/04 19:17:58 To: NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] The facts of the new copyright bill. Rene' and Elaine, If you collect your own data or some people just re-arrange other people's format [which to me is stinky] then you originate your own document. No one can copyright public documents and call them their own. If they go to the recorder's office and compile death, birth, marriage records they can copyright their list. They cannot copyright the information. You can go and do exactly the same thing, compile your own list from that very same material. I see that you say this in your second paragraph. You just can't copy the info from their list and provide it in their format. I have people quote my book all the time and that is in fact why I wrote it. I wanted it to be a jumping off point for people to start their own research into African American history in Sacramento. I can't say that everyone gives me attribution when they are using my facts and occasionally this bother's me. One African American Web site used my material flagrantly but they added to it - no attribution is given and these people putting together the web site are from a local university and should know better. But I wrote my book as a community service and I don't want my ego to get in the way of the purpose for which I wrote the book. But basically anything, according to the 1976 copyright laws, that you pen or that you put on your computer is your intellectual property and is copyrighted as soon as it leaves your pen or is on your computer. My husband is an attorney. He may be only one of a few attorney's who think this way, but he says while you may have the legal edge, that it isn't always practical to sue. Thank you for the response! marilyn Rene' wrote: > Hi Marilyn, > >No, it isn't just for NY. And as you can see its a VERY touchy subject. > >Basically what it comes down to, is that information written by someone is >considered their copyright. Information that you find on the web and >elsewhere is copyright. You can't copy someone's material and repost it >anywhere, in the same form as you took it. > >Information that is public knowledge, like birth dates, death dates, census >material etc, is public knowledge, you can take this information and put it >in your own words and forms and you don't violate a copyright. But if you >copy this information word for word then you violate a copyright. > >However, there are many variations to this rule, such as a book that has >been written, you can post that material after so many years. The amount of >years depends on several things, could be so many years after the authors >death, or so many years since the copyright was renewed (this mostly >pertains to words like Avon), or so many years after the book, etc was >written. > >This is just a loose generalization of copyright law. If you are concerned >about copyrights, its best to hire a lawyer, because there are so many >aspects and interpretations of copyright law. > >Another example is this message, I could consider anyone copying this >verbatim as copyright infringement, but in all reality it wouldn't hold up >in a court of law. > >Hope this helps some, >Rene' > >-------Original Message------- > >From: NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com >Date: 03/19/04 09:25:32 >To: NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] The facts of the new copyright bill. > >Hi Elaine, >I am not up to speed on what is going on with this new copyright law, >does this effect only N.Y.? >Thanks! >marilyn > >ElaineDecker@cs.com wrote: > > > >>In a message dated 3/18/04 10:42:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, >> >> >&gt;cliff.hayes@earthlink.net writes: > > >><< If you really want to see the proposed legislation, you can view it by >>going to >>http://thomas.loc.gov/ and in the place to type in the bill you are >>interested in, put "HR3261", then click on search. >> >> >>Read what is really said about the bill in the halls of Congress: >> >>http://www.copyright.gov/docs/regstat092303.html >> >> >> >> > > > >==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== >To unsubscribe from this list in list mode send an email with the word, >unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message to the following >address: NYOtsego-l-request@rootsweb.com > >============================== >Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration >Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. 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