My goodness, what are things coming to? I will be asking for
copyright when I write letters to people next (how about referees'
comments??) Talk about 'the commodification of everything'.
> ==============================
> COPYRIGHT OF EMAIL MESSAGES
> ==============================
>
> Recently we've had some questions about the copyright of messages sent
> to Mailbase lists, and this message should answer a few of the questions
> and correct some common misapprehensions.
>
> A Summary
> -----------
>
> 1. Copyright law stops other people from using and abusing your original work.
>
> 2. Email messages are creative works and therefore copyrighted.
>
> 3. All your email messages are copyrighted to you (or your employer)
>
> 4. You do not have to register this copyright - it exists automatically.
>
> 5. When you post to a public list you do not lose copyright,
> but your message may be:
> - archived
> - forwarded to other lists
> - quoted by others
>
> 6. Messages sent to a list should not be:
> - quoted out of context
> - changed or reworded
> - mis-attributed
>
>
> ****
>
> 1. What is copyright?
>
> If you are the author or maker of an original creative work, copyright
> law gives you the right to exclude others from using your work in
> certain ways. You should be able to control who makes copies, or
> creates a work derived from yours.
>
> ****
>
> 2. What can be copyrighted?
>
> You can claim copyright on your own CREATIVE and ORIGINAL work once it
> exists in a written or otherwise tangible format.
>
> Anything you write whether in English or C++, will be a creative work,
> as will anything you photograph, or draw. Email messages, handwritten
> notes, books, computer programs and webpages are all creative works and
> they are all protected by copyright.
>
> ****
>
> 3. How do you register copyright?
>
> Copyright exists automatically from the moment that a creative work is
> given tangible form - as in a webpage or email message. It does not need
> to be registered.
>
> *****
>
> 4. Who owns the copyright?
>
> The first owner of the copyright is the author, except where the work is
> made by an employee in the course of their employment, in which case the
> employer is the first owner. So, if you are sending email in the course
> of your work, your employer may be the owner of the copyright on your
> email messages.
>
> But Mailbase does not own the copyright of messages sent to our lists,
> and nor does the list administrator.
>
> ****
>
> 5. Messages posted to public lists - Implied Licence (what is allowed)
>
> Sending a message to a public discussion list has been compared to
> sending a letter to the editor of a newsletter. This would be
> regarded as intended for publication (an implied licence) unless there
> was clear evidence to the contrary.
>
> When you send a message to a PUBLIC discussion list, you should be
> aware that:
>
> o Other members of the list may keep a copy of the message,
>
> o The message may be archived on a website,
>
> o The message may be forwarded to other interested parties,
>
> o Parts of the message may be quoted in discussion.
>
> This is implicitly allowed, reasonable use of a mailing list and to the
> benefit of all list members. It does not mean that you lose copyright.
>
>
> ****
>
> 6. Messages posted to public lists - Moral Rights
>
> When you send a message to a public discussion list certain "moral rights"
> apply. Although your message may be widely disseminated, you have a right
> to expect the following:
>
> o The message is not changed or reworded if forwarded.
> (Messages sent to a closed mailing list or to an individual should
> never be forwarded without the author's permission.)
>
> o Your message is not quoted out of context.
> It is possible to quote, or misquote, part of a message in such
> a way that it misleads people and damages the reputation of the
> original sender.
>
> o Attribution is given to the author.
> The name of the original sender should always be acknowledged.
>
> o Any appended copyright notice is respected.
>
>
> ******
>
> 7. Some Further Information
>
> Some information on UK copyright law is available from the
> Copyright Licensing Agency (http://www.cla.co.uk/)
>
> 10 Big Myths about copyright explained
> (http://www.clari.net/brad/copymyths.html) answers some common questions,
> with particular regard to USENET postings (US law)
>
>
>
>
>
>
Mel Bartley
Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health
University College London Medical School
1-19 Torrington Place
London WC1E 6BT
tel: 0171 391 1707
fax: 0171 813 0242
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