FYI...very informative > ----- Original Message ----- > <forwards removed> > > Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 6:05 AM > Subject: [Nicholsonfam] [FYI: [MO] Copyright for > Genealogy] > > > > Just thought I would pass this on to all my mailing > list. > > > > Pauline > > > > Lesley wrote: lesley@eznet.net > > > > > Copyrighting Genealogical Information > > > by Steve Paul Johnson, September 15, 1999 > > > > > > With access to the Internet, people today are > publishing creative works more > > > than ever. Genealogy websites are springing up > everywhere. Can copyright > > > protection extend to genealogical information? > > > > > > Lately I have noticed much discussion about copyright > protection for > > > genealogical information. Someone creates a website > of their family > > > history, publishes on the Internet, and someone else > "steals" the > > > information and publishes it on their website. People > get upset after > > > spending so many months and years to collect and > validate the information, > > > and then many hours to create the webpages, only to > have someone take the > > > information and publish it elsewhere. > > > > > > I can certainly understand the frustration. But what > protections do the > > > copyright laws provide? Well, there's a lot of > protection, but only for > > > specific things. > > > > > > Genealogical information is factual information, and > is not protected under > > > copyright law. My birthdate is factual information. > The burial location of > > > my grandfather is factual information. The maiden > name of my grandmother is > > > factual information. If I created a webpage that > contained these facts, and > > > nothing more, only the webpage is protected. Not the > facts. If I added any > > > additional writings, ideas, comments, or anything else > I create, they would > > > be protected, but not the facts. > > > So what does this mean to us genealogists? Well, it > means that anyone can > > > lift the genealogical information off of our websites, > and publish it > > > elsewhere, without consequence. The information may > even be sold, and we > > > couldn't do anything about it. What may be protected > is the presentation of > > > that information, and any other ideas, opinions, or > fiction we create. > > > > > > But you say, "I've seen so many websites that publish > copyright statements > > > forbidding anyone to republish the information > contained within it." Well, > > > those people are not correct. Their webpages are > copyrighted, but not any > > > factual information contained within it. What if > someone published your > > > mother's birthdate, and then included a statement that > no one else could use > > > that information? Come on, please! > > > > > > The USGenWeb Archives includes a statement on every > one of its text files > > > that says that anyone can use the information, as long > as their notice > > > remains with the information, and as long as the > information is not used for > > > profit. That's got to be either one of the most > misguided statements, or > > > the USGenWeb is unaware of the copyright protections. > No where do the > > > copyright laws prevent anyone from using factual > information for profit, and > > > nor does the USGenWeb have any right to enforce such > restriction. > > > > > > Because facts are free, we are all able to create > works, and create works > > > that compete against each other. Yes, it is > frustrating that all the labor > > > you spent to collect factual information can be freely > republished by > > > someone else. But then, I always believed that > genealogical information > > > should remain free for use by anyone, without > restriction. That's why > > > today, we are able to use census records, cemetery > records, vital > > > statistics, and all the other genealogical records. > > > > > > For additional information, please visit the website > of the United States > > > Copyright Office. Please also visit Michael Goad's > website, "U.S. Copyright > > > and Genealogy". > > > > > > - Steve Paul Johnson [steve@interment.net] > > > > > > Steve is the editor of The Cemetery Column, and is the > webmaster of Cemetery > > > Records on the Internet. > > > > > > To read more on this subject click on the address > below. > > > > http://www.interment.net/column/commentary/19990915.htm > > > > > > Lesley (Baird) Prey lesley@eznet.net (originally from > Cleburne, Texas) now > > > in Batavia, New York. > > > Lesley's Family Tree > > > http://www.angelfire.com/ny/LesleysWorld/index.html > > > Census, Marriage, Birth, Death,Church, Military, and > Cemetery Records from > > > Texas, Mississippi, and South Carolina and > > > much more. Come take a look!!! > > > > > > ==== Missouri Mailing List ==== > > > Visit http://www.usgenweb.org > > > The USGenWeb Project-Archives-Census-Tombstone > > > > > > ============================== > > > Free Web space. ANY amount. ANY subject. > > > RootsWeb's Freepages put you in touch with millions. > > > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi > > > > -- > > ***************************** > > Pauline Phelps, email paulinep@igalaxy.net > > =============================== > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > ---------------- > > A Proud Member of the One & Only Associate Network > > http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/1709 > > > > -- Talk to your group with your own voice! > > -- > http://www.egroups.com/VoiceChatPage?listName=nicholsonfam > &m=1 > > > > > >Cathy Hall > Grand Island, NY > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* > EMAIL ADDRESS: cat5hall@email.msn.com > Cathy's Genealolgy > http://homepages.msn.com/PicnicPL/cat5hall > Bradley County TNGenWeb Page > http://www.tngenweb.org/bradley > TNBRADLE-Mail List TNBRADLE-L-request@rootsweb.com > Polk County TNGenWeb Page http://www.tngenweb.org/polk > TNPOLK Mail List TNPOLK-L-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > > ==== TNBRADLE Mailing List ==== > ~~~~~BRADLEY COUNTY, TN MAIL LIST~~~~~ > TNGENWEB BRADLEY SITE http://www.tngenweb.org/bradley > Noel Matthews - tnbradleyml@noelm.com - Keeper of the List >