This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------682592864B1F32891306E446 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit It is gratifying that at least a few researchers recognizes the contribution made by the "dedicated genealogists" who took six years out of their lives to inventory, index, and put in print the nationally recognized collection, COLLIN COUNTY, TEXAS, CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS. As heir to Alice Ellison Pitts' estate, I now own the copyright jointly with the others. Mother personally typed (on a manual typewriter) and indexed (not on a computer) both cemetery books and personally paid for the publication. The other two made no monetary contribution to the publication of the books. Therefore, she (now I) had/have the primary interest in preserving the copyright. For researchers who respect the law, there are actually only two choices: (1) cite the source when you abstract information from copyrighted material or (2) actually go to the cemetery or courthouse and obtain the information personally. Copying information from a copyrighted book to give to someone else is not the same as copying the information FROM the tombstone or the courthouse record. If you go to the courthouse and do research, what you have is not copyrighted, UNLESS you file for copyright. In the cases where genealogical societies or individuals have inventoried cemeteries, or published marriages & death records, and made them available as a service, that is an entirely different matter. When you purchase a copyrighted book, you may certainly use the information for your personal research, although "citing the source" when publishing is still necessary. Purchasing the copyrighted book does not mean you can pass along that information to everyone without "citing the source." The tombstones may have been purchased by families, but once put in place, they hold no copyright to the information thereon. The tombstone information may be "public record," but that only makes it available to someone who actually goes to the cemetery and copies the information, or goes to the courthouse and locates the burial information. Since no one that has responded to date has a law degree and a specialty in internet copyright law, what is being espoused online is not definitive, including my email. Because the use of the internet in genealogical research is a relatively new industry, only time will reveal who is infringing and who is not. No one is "suggesting that you buy the book in return for receiving the information requested, only that you are aware that it is provided from a source protected by law." Thanks, Bill. William Baccus wrote: > > Janice, > > Unlike most counties in the US, Collin County Cemeteries were inventoried and > published several years ago by some very dedicated genealogists. There are many > requests for inscriptions that are answered on the spot. That information comes > from a copywritten book produced by the efforts of Alice Pitts and her > asociates. > > It is both fitting and proper that these folks receive the proper recognition > for their monumental effort in the form of a citation of their publication. > None are suggesting that you buy the book in return for receiving the > information requested, only that you are aware that it is provided from a source > protected by law. > > An alternative of course, is that the desired information be extracted > personally by the requestor, directly from the headstone in Collin County. That > wouldn't be in the true spirit of genealogy though, would it? > > Happy Hunting! > > Bill Baccus > Temecula, CA > > rozzell wrote: > > > What is the deal with locating cemetery information for Collin County, > > Texas? > > > > I have searched quite a few counties in Texas. The counties have listed > > cemetery information or are in the process of listing cemetery information. > > In Collin County, Texas every time I see a reply for a cemetery request it > > seems people must purchase a book for information. > > > > What about marriage records and death records? In order to locate > > information am I to purchase book(s) in order to locate information? > > > > Janice Rozzell --------------682592864B1F32891306E446 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="mchamp.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Minnie Pitts Champ Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="mchamp.vcf" begin:vcard n:Champ;Minnie Pitts x-mozilla-html:FALSE url:www.collincountybooks.com org:Collin County Book Co.;"www.collincountybooks.com" version:2.1 email;internet:mchamp@airmail.net adr;quoted-printable:;;3000 Teal Ln. =0D=0A;McKinney, ;TX;75070-4187; x-mozilla-cpt:;9392 fn:Minnie Pitts Champ end:vcard --------------682592864B1F32891306E446--