Do I have Intellectual Property Rights for what I Write?

If I write something here, and I come across direct plagiarism from something outside of a discussion forum - ie a page of my writings in a book etc. Basically is there a law that stops people from stealing our writings and making money from it... ?

Thanks in advance for anyone reading this, and more so if you answer it.

ATS Terms and Conditions of Use.

3) Content Copyright: By posting on this message board, you relinquish all exclusive copyright privileges to the material you post and you grant The Owners non-exclusive, non-revocable rights to publish your posts in perpetuity in all forms. The Above Network, LLC has the authority to decide to display your postings or not, and modify your posts to remove offensive material, modify your post title to accurately reflect content, remove vulgar comments, remove insults or delete any other content deemed inappropriate, at our discretion. Photos and graphic images posted to your media portal "My Pictures" and "My Photo Gallery" sections do not fall under this non-exlusive license agreement.

3a) Content Distribution: You will not copy material from these discussion forums to post on other websites or quote in offline research in a manner that does not comply with the ATS Creative Commons Licences that specifies the author's member name as a member of AboveTopSecret.com, includes The Above Network, LLC and the member as owners of the content, provides the title of the thread, and a full URL to the board thread.

3b) DMCA Enforcement: By posting on these domains, you grant the agents and officers of AboveTopSecret.com and its parent organization(s) the right to seek enforcement and legal remedy for any and all discovered usage violations falling under the DMCA and the Creative Commons content deed. Remedy in such cases, will always place a priority on proper attribution of you as the author and a link-back to your post (or posts), rather than removal.

If you find your work used elsewhere without your persmission, please contact staff using the ATS Complaint/Suggestion Form located in the Member Center and get the full attention of the entire Staff. Please provide as much detail as you can.

[edit on August 12th 2010 by greeneyedleo]

Good question, now I wonder that too. I am posting some short stories, and post them elsewhere as well because they are mine. I won't share my stories here anymore if for some reason by posting here we lose our rights to our property. Thanks for bringing this up!

ETA so we do give up rights to our short stories etc.? That changes things. Can someone elaborate on this for me? Am I correct in that anything we post we are givi ng away for free to this website with no rights to use our posts elsewhere? Our own work?

Thanks.

[edit on 12-8-2010 by hotbakedtater]

reply to post by ghostsoldier


Yes they can be known as copyright laws.

You just got to do some digging on google on the subject.

I am sure you will find what you need.

Edited to add: your question was answered. Above

[edit on 12-8-2010 by Quickfix]

reply to post by greeneyedleo


So technically the owners can sell a members post content for authors, screenwriters etc, to use... ?

I think this should be rectified.

[edit on 12/8/10 by ghostsoldier]

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
reply to post by greeneyedleo

 

To technically the owners can sell members post content for authors to use.

I think this should be rectified.

No, it does not say that.

If you see your posts being plagiarized somewhere else - please contact staff.

What she's saying is that YOU don't have any rights to what you post, ATS does.


Bwoohahahaha!



AAARGHHHH!

I can feel them sucking the thoughts out of my brain!!!!













OK, it's over.


Luckily there wasn't much in there for them to suck out in the first place.

reply to post by FortAnthem


No what she is saying is that you both have rights to it. It's still yours do what you wish but ATS has the right to use it as well.

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Yeah, but technically ATS owns what I write, so technically I have no legal basis to sue if I get plagiarised, ATS can, and keep the money.

But technically my previous point is correct also, no?

Originally posted by GAOTU789
reply to post by FortAnthem

 

No what she is saying is that you both have rights to it. It's still yours do what you wish but ATS has the right to use it as well.

Then you mean that wasn't ATS sucking the thoughts out of my brain?


My tinfoil hat must not be on tight enough...

reply to post by ghostsoldier


I correct myself.

If anyone except ATS profits (by selling it) from what I write, I can sue.

[edit on 12/8/10 by ghostsoldier]

reply to post by ghostsoldier


Have you found your posts in a book somewhere, if so what book?
Or posted elsewhere online with no link back to here, etc. If so where?

reply to post by ghostsoldier


No.

It says you give up exclusive rights not all rights and it also says "includes The Above Network, LLC and the member as owners of the content" meaning you both have rights to it, you just don't have exclusive rights.

ATS has gone to bat for members who found there work plagiarized else where.

I feel it should be rectified as well.

What is said is true. ATS staff can use out writing as they see fit, to earn money, to promote, or anything otherwise without our permission. To me, it seems like quite a steep price to pay for voicing one's own opinions. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the rule is draconian in its existence on these forums.

I have read the T&C in the past, but when thinking about it in this light it puts a whole new perspective as to why something like this is even necessary and/or accepted.

I can't help but to think of it as an exchange of sorts, much the same way Americans exchanged their rights for little privileges. It seems by posting on ATS, we exchange our rights for the opportunity to speak freely. It is sort of self defeating to the proclaimed purpose of this site, is it not?

reply to post by GAOTU789


Yeah, but technically the owners of ATS could write a book from ATS members user generated content, but they dont have to pay me for my content. OR give me credit.

But no, I haven't come across a book or anything. This is for future reference and curiosity.

[edit on 12/8/10 by ghostsoldier]

reply to post by gwydionblack

ATS staff can use out writing as they see fit, to earn money, to promote, or anything otherwise without our permission.

First, you gave permission when you agreed to the Terms and Conditions to post here. This is a private website, the owners may decide what ever rules they choose as part of memebership. Personally, the T and C is pretty clear in its language, unlike a lot of other sites you may belong too, which require size 0 font on 6 pages to cover everything.

You also gave up nothing to join. No one makes you post, you do that be choice.

reply to post by ghostsoldier


That I can't answer because I don't know. An Admin or owner would need to weigh in on that.

reply to post by GAOTU789


I look forward to it.

I would like to see it put into the T&C, everything else is fine - I just want put in, that ATS will not sell user content to others to and/or for profit, or use it to make profit themselves, outside of this website.

[edit on 12/8/10 by ghostsoldier]

reply to post by ghostsoldier

 

Do I have Intellectual Property Rights for what I Write?

sometimes i think the more we get the lawyers involved inbetween our own effective communications, the less our "Intellectual Property" is our own, as we have already consciously made the decision that the laws have a place inbetween our effective communications. And, once the laws stand inbetween our effective communications, one must ask the only pertinent question: how many laws are there? but, words are not the only means of communications.

here is an example of a loophole:
the copyright law usually found on the first page of most books, even gradeschool textbooks, states:

"no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into any information storage and/or information retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and above publisher of this book."

not really possible, is it? i mean, i'm taught that my body, my cells, and even my dna are in fact "information storage and retrieval systems".

according to the wording, one can interpret it to mean that remembering what you read is illegal, since one legally needs prior permission to store the words in any information storage and retrieval system. of course, by learning this, we have already demonstrated a capacity for breaking the laws, since we are utilizing the languages that were illegal to learn in order to communicate illegally about what is legally permissive information we can share.

i say share what you can, when you can. and let those who want to control or participate in such anarchy chase their own tails for our amusement.

insane = promoting by force a system where no child born today can live long enough to learn the number of mandatory requirements set upon them by society (laws), but are mandatorily expected to conform to the laws they can't legally retain according to the laws.

insane = paying more law makers to make more laws when you will never live long enough to learn the existing laws, nor are the existing laws always being enforced.

these are some of my thoughts.

if you wrote it here first, and it appeared somewhere else, good for you. your post is proof of your "original thought", or at least proof that the "universal forces" provided you with that information first.

i say share it as best as you can, and thanks for sharing with us,
et

i don't like the idea that i don't own the things i say on this forum. what if i make up some kind of cool catch phrase and it's used in some kind of rob schneider movie where let's say he works at an air port and falls in love with a dolphin.. do i get royalties? or at least maybe my name in the credits? thanks