Monday, July 14, 2008

Copyrights and Sassypants

So, the other day I was just reading along and sending comment love back to the sweet folks that had left comments on my blog. I clicked on a commentors link to find my own words from my July 4th post front and center on her blog page as if she had written them all by HER lonesome. Now I am a paralegal and have worked with attorneys for years, and after beginning my blog I asked one of these defenders of the law about copywriting the written word. In true lawyer fashion, I did not get a perfectly straight answer, but here is the jest of what was said. As soon as the words are written they are copyrighted by the writer. If two entities should ever go to court over the rights, the one whose words were the original has to prove they are the original writer of said words. So if it is a very serious manuscript, like the next Great American Novel that I have in the works (hehe), it is best to send it off to the Library of Congress and get an ISBN # - I'll let you reserach that your ownself if you are interested - or mail yourself a copy of the manuscript to get a postmarked date as proof of the original text. Now for us everyday lovers of blogging and sharing and growing in our writing craft it is sufficiant to ask others not to use your words or photos without permission. But some folks don't play nice and do it anyway. You can also put the copyright logo - a c with a circle around it -I hope I can figure out how to do it - following the text and the words all rights reserved by (fill in your lovely name). So for all my blog/writer friends out there who are sharing your personal stories, please protect your words by figuring out how to add that logo (and tell me how to do it too!) :) Obviously, we all know that our words are out there in the public forum and that is really the point, but protect yourselves sweet love muffins.

Back to the other story, I wrote the young lady a nice note stating that I had a disclaimer not to use my words without my permission; and more than likely I would have given my permission had she asked and all would be peachy keen. But it really wasn't all that nice to take my stuff and put it on her blog without even a word of explanation to the whole wide blog world. This is what the little lady wrote back to me (I have removed her name because I'm nice that way, we'll just call her Ms. Sassypants).

As far as you can tell, there's no credit given. But you'd be quite mistaken in thinking you saw my full journal. The way livejournal works is that each post has various viewing settings. Nearly all of mine are viewable to friends only. I don't know if you noticed the timestamp on that particular post, but it was just before midnight, and I forgot to close it to the public. Stamped the following day, credit was given, but as I said, most of my posts are viewable to
friends only. I'm sorry you won't be able to see the proof in that matter because of it.

By the way, if you're so worried about things being taken from your blog, there are ways to make sure your page can't be copied


Now is that sassy or what? That's like saying to your neighbor, you took something that belongs to me out of my yard and I don't appreciate it, and your neighbor says, well, if you put your stuff away, I wouldn't have taken it. Ok, that is so not the point, right? Whatev, I don't have the energy for drama, but that really ticked me off!! Chief and Code-Man were madder than me about the whole thing. They said I was being too nice to Ms. Sasssypants about the whole thing. But I can't be mean, sometimes I need to be, but it is not in my nature. I always want to give the person the benefit of the doubt and hope they really didn't mean it.

16 comments:

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

I thought you had that c with the circle in it at the bottom of that post. Or was that added after the fact? Because of this?

I would be really irate...

Unknown said...

I so badly want you to give us a link so her so we can lift her posts and claim them as our own... but.. that's not nice... and I'm a nice girl (stop laughing Mr. B)

Unknown said...

ohhh that little stinker...It is not up to you to "check" the date or to check back to see if she gave you credit...if she wanted to use your stuff...she should have been more careful.

Wanda said...

Well, that blows. I hope she gets her head out of her bum. Oy.

Anonymous said...

Are you serious?!? That's crazy! And really sad. If you go to my page, there's a copyright thing all the way at the bottom. I can't remember the name of it...I think it's creative commons? Anyway, click on my copyright thing and it will take you to a spot where you can get your own. It only takes a few seconds.

Warning to the freaks: If you want to copy a post, give credit and a link to whoever wrote it! Duh. I hope that doesn't happen to you again!

Sowellct said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lula! said...

No, she didn't.

Uh-uh. Now I'm all mad & wanna get up in her grill.

KimmyJ said...

Kat, I just had a disclaimer, not the symbol or anything.

One- said...

Life is too short. Why do some people insist on making everything about drama! Tell her from me, to "save the drama for your mama!"

John Deere Mom said...

Oh no, she di'int!

KatBouska said...

Oh hail no!!! You have got to be kidding me. I mean, who is THAT desperate for a post. If I don't have anything good to say, but I've read a post that does, I'll send all my readers to that post and be like "sorry guys, I've got nothing" That's really weird. I have a feeling that lady doesn't have many friends.

Dirty White boy said...

Id be a little upset if someone stole my words and made them their own, not for the fact that 'I wrote them', but for the fact of, how sad can their life be to steal something I wrote about nonsense.

Its a sad strange little world we live in, with sad strange little people. They have my pity. (Almost Buzz Lightyears words...almost)

Anonymous said...

That is just bad blog etiquette.

Mrs4444 said...

That would make me SO mad! You were just lucky to stumble upon it; I wonder how I'd ever know...

Tiffany said...

I went to leagalzoom and paid to do it. I don't have the little mark up, but AFRO does, I may need to ask her about that.

That really urks me. Is she a SITS girl? If so, we may need to address this whole copyright thing...

Amber said...

Weird, and double weird. That woman sure has a lot of nerve. Is she so hard up for creative things to say she has to copy you? Pathetic!