Hi Elaine, This is a common paranoia. They all state their policies. www.genealogy.com's is at "Terms of Service" at the bottom. If you have insomnia, this is the webpage to cure it! http://www.genealogy.com/agreement.html It goes on and on. Says "Subject to the Genealogy.com Privacy Policy, by inputting, uploading or posting any family tree information, data, family stories, ideas, drawings, opinions, messages, eyewitness accounts, or any other information or materials, or engaging in any other form of communication (each, a "Submission") through the Sites, you grant MyFamily.com, Inc. and its Affiliated Companies a royalty free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, unrestricted, transferable, worldwide license to (i) use, copy, sublicense, adapt, transmit, distribute, publicly perform, archive, and display any such Submission in any medium now known or hereafter developed; (ii) exploit any proprietary rights in such Submission, including but not limited to rights under copyright, trademark, or patent laws in any relevant jurisdiction; and (iii) sublicense to third parties the unrestricted right to exercise any of the foregoing rights. " .... and then: " D. You acknowledge and agree that you shall receive no compensation, monetary or otherwise, for any Submission and that Submissions that are input, uploaded, or posted by you to the Sites may become part of a database that is owned exclusively by MyFamily.com, Inc., and that may be reproduced by MyFamily.com, Inc. in any format, in whole or in part, including without limitation in an electronic storage format, such as CD-ROM or DVD or an online subscription, for distribution, sale, or any other purpose, throughout the world." and so on and so forth. My eyes are glazed but I do think they say there they can burnt your stuff into a CD. Not that it matters much as they also say elsewhere they will filter anything about living people. So you might meet some new cousins who bought the cds. Linda Merle ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "E. Suhre" <braisl@madisontelco.com> Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 19:01:20 -0600 >Hi Linda. Thanks for the info. But, am wondering since ancestry owns >gen.com and gen.com has World Family Tree which they "may" or "may not" put >on CDs to sell, who owns the copyright when you upload to gen.com FTM? > >Thanks. > >Elaine Suhre >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Linda Merle" <merle@mail.fea.net> >To: <Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 6:03 PM >Subject: Re: [Sc-Ir] A free on line resource > > >> Hi Billy, thanks for your kind comments. Here's Ancestry's >> statement, very different: >> http://www.myfamilyinc.com/default.aspx?html=copyright >> >> It says: >> Content which has been contributed to public areas of the MyFamily.com, >> Inc. sites by users remain the property of the submitter or the original >> creator and we are a licensed distributor of such content. Occasionally, a >> person may feel that content submitted by a user is their property or is >> covered by the copyright of someone other than the submitter. Please >> remember that we are the distributor of user supplied content and the >> submitter, not MyFamily.com, Inc., is the one who has violated copyright >> if such a violation has occurred. However, we will respond to >> substantiated claims of violation. " >> >> So! People uploading family trees to Ancestry's One World Tree project >> retain all ownership. >> >> Seems a lot better to me though... I suspect that the two might, after a >> 2 year court trial -- end up being the same, because Ancestry doesn't say >> much about what it 'does' with your stuff. But hey, their statement is >> simple at least! >> >> Linda Merle >> >> ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- >> From: "William Stranney" <billy.stranney@btinternet.com> >> Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 23:13:41 -0000 >> >>>Linda, >>> >>>I am a regular reader of emails on your list. I have often read your views >>>and comments. As a result, I have huge respect for your views. I also know >>>enough about legal issues to know that I may be wrong to be concerned >>>here. >>>The discussion that I referred to in my first email did not, unfortunately >>>result in this issue being clarified in any way. Based on that discussion >>>there did seem to be a problem. Genes Reunited themselves, unusually, did >>>not join in the discussion to state their case. They were completely >>>silent >>>on the matter. Here is the 'contentious' part of the Genes Renuited Terms >>>and Conditions: >>> >>>"16. Intellectual Property. You acknowledge that all copyright, trade >>>marks, >>>and other intellectual property rights in and relating to the Genes >>>Reunited >>>Service (including the material which is contributed by Members) are owned >>>by Genes Reunited. It is easy to copy material which appears on web-sites, >>>but this does not mean it is legal. Therefore, no-one may copy, >>>distribute, >>>show in public or create any derivative work from the Genes Reunited >>>Service, or any of the material which is found on the Genes Reunited >>>Service >>>unless properly licensed to do so by us. >>> >>>By submitting any material to the content to the Genes Reunited Service, >>>you: >>> >>>are representing that you are fully entitled to do so; >>>grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-terminable licence to copy, >>>modify, distribute, show in public and create derivative works from that >>>material in any form, anywhere; and authorise us to adapt the relevant >>>material in the course of doing so, and so waive your moral rights to >>>object >>>to any derogatory treatment, or to be identified as the author, of the >>>material in question. " >>>END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS. >>> >>>I do not like the content or tone of these 'Terms and Conditions'. I >>>wonder, >>>also, are conditions like these 'hidden' in the small print of other >>>similar >>>websites? >>> >>>There must be a wee bit of Scotch-Irish in me as I think this is an issue >>>such folk would not want to ignore! My mother was a Non-Subscribing >>>Presbyterian. My father is an old-fashioned (thrawn, that is) Catholic >>>(Roman Catholic). >>> >>>Billy. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>----- Original Message ----- >>>From: "Linda Merle" <merle@mail.fea.net> >>>To: <Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com> >>>Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 10:07 PM >>>Subject: Re: [Sc-Ir] A free on line resource >>> >>> >>>> Hi Billy, I seem to believe that Rootsweb's policy is you own your stuff >>>(ie I own this post!) which is one way to avoid being sued for character >>>defamation by irate UK citizens (harder to sue in the USA <grin>) or for >>>breaking copyright laws. I'll check Ancestry. that's a good point, >>>though. >>>THough, according to my thick genealogy bible here, the only parts of >>>one's >>>published genealogy that is copywritable is any analysis you do. The stuff >>>we scraped off of anonymous websites (where space aliens posted it as a >>>joke) and extract from birth certificates, wills, will abstracts, bibles, >>>etc -- that stuff cannot be copyrighted. >>>> >>>> Linda Merle >>>> ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- >>>> From: "William Stranney" <billy.stranney@btinternet.com> >>>> Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 21:14:11 -0000 >>>> >>>> >Linda, >>>> > >>>> >Before you upload your family tree to Genes Reunited, make sure you >>>> >read >>>> >their small print. A few weeks ago on one of my lists (I can't remember >>>> >which - it might have been the Guild of One Name Studies - GOONS), >>>anyway, >>>> >there was a spate of emails discussing and expressing concern about the >>>> >issue as to who owns the data you upload to their site. From what Genes >>>> >Reunited say on their website (in their small print section - the rules >>>> >etc.), it seems clear they feel they own any data you upload and can do >>>what >>>> >they wish with it. I use the site and am a paid up member, but I have >>>only >>>> >uploaded a partial family tree. >>>> > >>>> >It is possible that this is the case with many other similar websites >>>> >too >>>> >and that it is unfair to only highlight Genes Reunited. >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >Billy. >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >----- Original Message ----- >>>> >From: "Linda Merle" <merle@mail.fea.net> >>>> >To: <Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com> >>>> >Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 7:35 PM >>>> >Subject: [Sc-Ir] A free on line resource >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >> >>>> >> Hi folks, I get these reminder emails from various places I've >>>forgotten >>>> >about (so I apparently need these reminders). Today I got one from >>>> >Genes >>>> >Reunited, a UK/Ireland Aussie genealogy website. They want you to >>>> >upgrade >>>to >>>> >their paid version of course. I haven't yet, but I did a free search >>>> >and >>>> >found a number of people looking for family in my dad's area of >>>> >England. >>>I'm >>>> >definitely uploading my tree. Might work for some of the rest of you >>>> >too! >>>> >> >>>> >> Linda Merle >>>> >> ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- >>>> >> From: Genes Reunited <noreply@genesreunited.co.uk> >>>> >> Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 03:09:41 -0000 >>>> >> >>>> >> Hello Linda, >>>> >> >>>> >> Today's site statistics: >>>> >> 54,862,502 relations on Genes Reunited >>>> >> >>>> >> http://www.genesreunited.com.au >>>> >> >>>> >> This email is being sent to you because you have chosen the option in >>>Your >>>> >Details. To unsubscribe to this option, visit www.genesreunited.com and >>>> >change your options in Your Details. >>>> >> >>>> >> If you have any questions please visit our FAQ section >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> ________________________________________________________________ >>>> >> Sent via the WebMail system at mail.fea.net >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ________________________________________________________________ >>>> Sent via the WebMail system at mail.fea.net >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________________________________________ >> Sent via the WebMail system at mail.fea.net >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.3/254 - Release Date: 2/8/2006 >> >> > > >-- >This message has been scanned for viruses and >dangerous content by MailScanner, and is >believed to be clean. > > ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the WebMail system at mail.fea.net

On 08 Feb, 2006, at 20:10, Linda Merle wrote: > This is a common paranoia. They all state their policies. > www.genealogy.com's is at "Terms of Service" at the bottom. If you > have insomnia, this is the webpage to cure it! > > http://www.genealogy.com/agreement.html In fact the opposite is true here. By posting to any MyFamily.com site, you grant MyFamily.com the rights to all materials you post on their site, for any use they desire, with no further consideration. Also, the only important information in this agreement is in the first paragraph: "Your use is subject to the following Terms of Service (the "Agreement"), which may be updated by us from time to time. MyFamily.com, Inc. reserves the right to alter this Agreement without advance notice by posting a revised Agreement." What this means is that anything contained in the document further down is worth only as much as the electrons required to transmit it. The company can change it at any time without any notice other than posting a new copy on-line. It is solely up to the "user" to discover that these terms have been changed. Later on the ToS document reads: "B. You represent and warrant that (i) all content and information included in your Submission(s) is truthful and accurate; and (ii) if you post information relating to any living person in a Submission, you have obtained all appropriate permissions to post such information on the Sites and to allow us to use such information in accordance with this Agreement. We will not be subject to any obligation of confidentiality, attribution, or otherwise with respect to Submissions, other than as expressly set forth in our Privacy Policy, and will not be liable for any use or disclosures of any Submissions, or any content contained therein. You release MyFamily.com, Inc. and its Affiliated Companies from any and all claims or liability (now known or hereafter arising) in connection with any Submission made by you, and agree to indemnify fully MyFamily.com, Inc. and its Affiliated Companies in connection therewith. This section shall survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement." And " D. You acknowledge and agree that you shall receive no compensation, monetary or otherwise, for any Submission and that Submissions that are input, uploaded, or posted by you to the Sites may become part of a database that is owned exclusively by MyFamily.com, Inc., and that may be reproduced by MyFamily.com, Inc. in any format, in whole or in part, including without limitation in an electronic storage format, such as CD-ROM or DVD or an online subscription, for distribution, sale, or any other purpose, throughout the world." Then, if you wander over to their "Privacy Statement" http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/privacy.html we find: Home Pages, Family Trees, Virtual Cemetery and the World Family Tree ...Once you contribute content to the World Family Tree, however, you may not edit or remove such content. All or part of such content that you submit, post or upload, including your home page, family tree, and submission to Virtual Cemetery, may become part of an online archive that other users of the Services can see and search. Such content, and content that you contribute to the World Family Tree, may also become part of a database that may be reproduced by Genealogy.com in any format, in whole or in part, including without limitation in an electronic storage format, such as CD-ROM or DVD or an online subscription, for distribution, sale, or any other purpose. BY POSTING SUCH CONTENT, YOU EXPRESSLY CONSENT TO THE FOREGOING USES OF SUCH CONTENT BY GENEALOGY.COM. " T.T.F.N. William H. Magill magill@mcgillsociety.org magill@acm.org magill@mac.com whmagill@gmail.com