When I want to copy or repost, I
always ask the original author simply as a fundamental
matter of courtesy, but also because the situation might have changed.
I have sometimes put a copyright line at the bottom of things I've
written and posted, merely as an indication that I would like to be
informed if someone wants to copy or repost them. This is especially true
for things like elaborate database instructions, as I don't really want
long-obsolete things floating around with my name on it. (Though in some
such cases they may actually fall into the works-for-hire category with
the copyright belonging to the university, as part of my job is to write
such instructions.)
On the rare occasions when a publisher wants to pay me money, I have
generally simply not bothered to fill in the form and get the money. So
there are one or two things out there that the publishers think they own,
but don't, because I've never actually signed the copyright assignment. I
must admit it would probably be different if the amount of money
were other than trivial. I am much happier with gifts-in-kind, like free
subscriptions; it preserves the feeling that I write as one colleague
helping others.
David Goodman, Princeton
University
Biology Library dgoodman_at_princeton.edu 609-258-3235
On Fri, 7 Dec 2001, Joseph Pietro Riolo wrote:
> On Thu, 6 Dec 2001, Peter Suber <peters_at_EARLHAM.EDU> wrote:
> >
> > .... The preprint is not covered by the transfer of copyright of the
> > refereed final draft. ...
>
> As I mentioned before in this discussion group, this statement is not
> wholly correct. It all depends on how the agreement, contract, or any
> legal document is written. It could cover preprint; it could exclude
> preprint. Moreover, there is no legal basis for your general
> statement.
>
> > .... Then authors will
> > be at liberty to put their refereed postprints in public archives, free for
> > all.
>
> Don't be too sure. The copyright will last for 70 years after the death
> of author and the estate of the author may impose the control over the
> access to the author's articles. The estate of Martin Luther King, Jr.
> is a living proof.
>
> > In short, I want a legal basis to oppose plagiarists, who would put
> > their name on my work, and for-profit aggregators, who would bundle it in a
> > package for sale. For more details, see the statement to which I link just
> > below my copyright declaration (http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/copyrite.htm).
>
> How are you going to enforce it? Your newsletter mentioned LOCKSS which
> stands for "Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe". A bad guy can copy your
> newsletter (or any of your works), make some changes here and there,
> replace your name with his pseudonym, and quietly post the newly altered
> copy to some newsgroups and web servers. By the time you find out the
> violation of your copyright, many copies of the unauthorized derivative
> work are already saved at many places in the Internet.
>
> Joseph Pietro Riolo
> <riolo_at_voicenet.com>
>
> Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this
> post in the public domain.
>
Received on Sun Dec 09 2001 - 01:29:16 GMT