Forum posts, site content and copyright

[DragonLady]

A question has been asked concerning "who owns the rights to material posted on the site"?

Honestly, I'd never considered it before.  But a quick check of the web brings me to the conclusion that we both do.  That is, you the poster own the rights to your own words.  I the admin own a partial right to it -that is, the right to display it for others to read, archive it for future reference, and allow it to be quoted in other posts or materials on this site. 

So, I guess my official policy (which will be added to the registration agreement) will be that you, by posting, agree to give me a perpetual, irrevokable, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the material as I see fit.

This means you can copy your own posts and materials to your own blogs or other forums, can claim authorship of your own tutorials or demos or instructions you post (which would include selling them as articles or whatever).  But it also means that I can use them, too. 


If anyone has any comments, questions, legal expertise or complaints, I'm all ears.  The bottom line is that I want everyone to be comfortable and feel welcome to post, while also keeping good site content and preventing any disputes that could arise.

[DragonLady]

The user agreement now includes:

You agree, through your use of this site, to grant the owners of this site a perpetual,  irrevokable, non-exlusive, royalty-free right to use the content of your posts as we see fit.

[Gorgeous Things]

Thanks for that clarification!

Ann

[DragonLady]

I'm editing the agreement again to add the following text:

You agree, through your use of this site, to grant the owners of this site a perpetual,  irrevokable, non-exlusive, royalty-free right to use the content of your posts as we see fit or in compilations of material from this site.

More tweaks might be coming; and as always I'll let everyone know when changes are made.

[Kathleen Fasanella]

But what if it's material that I have previously published and own (and even have the copyright certificate)? That's why I don't post tutorials or tips on Deepika's site. Actually, that's the whole reason I started publishing tutorials on my site exclusively. I mean, I'm happy to help but I won't post useful material if that means I lose exclusive rights to it.

Does this -by reciprocity- mean that I own whatever you posted to my site?

[DragonLady]

But what if it's material that I have previously published and own (and even have the copyright certificate)?

You retain your copyright.  By posting it here, you grant us the right to use it as well.

Does this -by reciprocity- mean that I own whatever you posted to my site?

I'm no lawyer, but I think the same rules apply, yes. Otherwise, everytime you move your board or archive the old posts or one member quotes another in an email you would have to ask for permission from each and every person.

For instance, my posts to your site about retail sales remain yours to use -forever.  I'm the author, and I have a right to my own words -I can quote myself elsewhere.  But you can use them, too. You don't have to ask me if you want to put them into a .pdf file for download or quote them in another article elsewhere on your site or whatever.

[DragonLady]

BTW, welcome!  Let me or the mods know if you need anything. 

[wood turtle]

You should probably have that somewhere on the front page in a User's Agreement.  I see that it's true that most boards have the same rules about copyright.

If you did post it and I missed it, sorry, I'll look again.