Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:
If you are an ezine publisher or webmaster that likes to use supplemental content from the many free articles available for free reprints on the Internet, this article may save you from a very expensive copyright infringement lawsuit. Stealing articles by violating the posted reprint rights is copyright infringement theft. Read on?
Article Reprints Universal Law #1
Don't assume that you can reprint any article at any time without checking the publicly posted terms of service for reprint rights. If a website does not post its reprint rights policy, you must assume that you do not have permission to reprint the content.
Article Reprints Universal Law #2
While an ethics discussion might take "morality" into consideration, you must take legality into consideration first. Violating an articles copyright is an illegal act. It's intellectual property theft.
Article Reprints Universal Law #3
Planet Earth is a very small planet. Do not assume that you can evade infringement just because you're not based in the country of the authors that you reprinted without permission. You can not hide. Every web server has an IP address and every IP address has a commercial Internet Service Provider managing it. Every ISP has an AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) that almost assuredly denies illegal activity to be performed by any of their clients.
Article Reprints Universal Law #4
Consider your article source very carefully. Just because an article directory gives you unlimited reprint rights does not mean they have the legal right to give you rights to reprint the content without further author permission. When in doubt, poll a dozen of the authors of the site and make sure that they agreed to allow their articles to be reprinted.
Best way to determine the legitimacy of the site that is offering the reprint rights is to contact the owner of the site and ask him or her where they got the right to publish the content that they are offering you to reprint for free. Proceed very slowly and with caution when in doubt.
Article Reprints Universal Law #5
Unless you get specific permission, assume that you do not have any right to alter the content in any way without further permission from the author of the article you wish to reprint. You should also not assume that you can change the reprint rights to suit your particular web or ezine project. For example, if an author only gave limited reprint rights, you should not assume that you get lifetime reprint rights.
Article Reprints Universal Law #6
If you are following a reprint rights policy that is publicly posted on a website, it would be good to download a local copy of the reprint policy to prove that you had the right to reprint the content without further permission. It is also a good idea to visit the reprint rights policy on a monthly basis to make sure it has not changed.
Article Reprints Universal Law #7
Get to know copyright law 101? specifically, section 504 of the Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#504).
Bottom line is that you could be liable for up to $150,000 USD in copyright damages for EACH copyright infringement.
One more point: Copying an entire article does not constitute fair use. You can safely consider copying a few sentences or perhaps a paragraph may be considered fair use, but in no case does the "http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#504" cover reprinting an entire article without attribution or following the posted reprint rights policy.
Article Reprints Conclusion:
Do the right thing.
You know what it is.
Follow the reprint policy or ask the author for permission for each and every article that you wish to reprint.
It's the right thing to do and instinctively, most people know it.
Failure to comply with the reprint rights policy that is posted by an author can invite copyright infringement lawsuits that may have a strong financial bite on your future.
About The Author:
Christopher M. Knight invites you to submit your best articles for massive exposure to the high-traffic http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#504 directory. When you submit your articles to EzineArticles.com, your articles will be picked up by ezine publishers who will reprint your articles with your content and links in tact giving you traffic surges to help you increase your sales. To submit your article, setup a membership account today: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#504
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareWhen the writing bug hits you, get out your pencil,... Read More
You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More
As a child, I loved to write. I can't remember... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
Writing for the web is very different from writing for... Read More
If your articles aren't getting published very often, or you... Read More
In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More
Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More
Writers are notorious collectors of slips of paper. They tear... Read More
How long should your chapters be?I can't resist... I have... Read More
Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to... Read More
As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear... Read More
You have a great idea for a poem, a story,... Read More
One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
ESSAY 2Andre Malraux once said that what interested him in... Read More
Peter Abrahams is the author of thirteen novels, including "The... Read More
We've all been told that we need to use all... Read More
Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?When an idea comes to us for... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important;... Read More
Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing,... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..Persisting With Bulldog Determination [Book excerpt from Successercising} by Rick... Read More
The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More
In his book, "Achieving Financial Independence as a Freelance Writer,"... Read More
It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
No user manual? Surely you jest!It may seem comical, but... Read More
Congratulations on writing your first book. That is quite an... Read More
The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea... Read More
It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More
When we think of writing it triggers many thoughts and... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
May I tell you about a writing technique shared by... Read More
One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More
At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More
Today it begins.I have always known I was a freelancer.... Read More
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a... Read More
Do you have trouble getting your thoughts and ideas down... Read More
"I don't know if I should put 'writer' on my... Read More
You have a new website, or a new business, or... Read More
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
Our Freelance Writing Needs DefinedWe must make freelance niche types... Read More
Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get... Read More
DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale... Read More
The first and final rule of quality writing is this:... Read More
Writing |