Copyright for Blogging?

karaokeman

Hi all,

Just started a blogging account there myself.

I want to ask is there anyway I can be sure I have right to claim posts I write there as my own without others copying, pasting and claiming my work?

Sincerely,
Michael

hullaballoo

Rights accrue by default but people generally take measures to DRM properly, even in the case of blog posts etc.

It's also a royal pain (in the finances) to try to enforce your rights as rights owner/holder. Also, there may be something in the terms and conditions of your host that relieve you of your rights. Another point is that you could spend more time looking for people stealing your sage thoughts than actually writing. People copying and pasting your work in all probability won't have the funds to satisfy any claim you might have.

Basically, the practical answer is that unless you can take your own steps to prevent copy pasta, then you will be exposed. The remedy to you is probably more expensive than it's worth.

Manach

As above, plus there might be terms on blogsites' software contract that could allow the blog material to be used in promotion matters or to be data mined.

Carawaystick

you also need to know that only the exact text is copyright, not any ideas you publish. So I could paraphrase you and it wouldn't be a breach of copyright.

Peregrinus

The default is that, if you are the author of the work, you own the copyright.

However, check the terms and conditions of the blogsite provider that you signed up with - that stuff that you clicked "I accept" without reading - and see if it includes an assignment to them of the copyright in any of your work that you publish through their site, or a licence to them to use your copyrighted work in some way.

And, as hullaballoo points out, owning copyright is not the same thing as enforcing it. Once you publish anything on the web, it is ludicrously easy for others to cut-and-paste it and use it how they wish, and time-consuming, difficult and sometimes expensive for you to do anything about it. If you think your work has any commercial value, consider not publishing it on a blog.

karaokeman

Thanks all.

I'm on Wordpress, and I've just written a paragraph beneath my username specifying:
1. I'm the author of the work so claim such rights by default
2. My material may be quoted or referenced in paraphrase if credit is given where due
3. Excerpts and links to my work may be used (provided I am informed)

Thinking of editing out the bracket text of point 3.

But I understand it might be more time & cost efficient to write rather than overthink such when I already have the notice.

Anyone know how I can go back and edit the sidebar? Finding navigation quite confusing at this stage.

Thanks again!

Greenmachine

karaokeman wrote: »

Thanks all.

I'm on Wordpress, and I've just written a paragraph beneath my username specifying:
1. I'm the author of the work so claim such rights by default
2. My material may be quoted or referenced in paraphrase if credit is given where due
3. Excerpts and links to my work may be used (provided I am informed)

Thinking of editing out the bracket text of point 3.

But I understand it might be more time & cost efficient to write rather than overthink such when I already have the notice.

Anyone know how I can go back and edit the sidebar? Finding navigation quite confusing at this stage.

Thanks again!

Point 1 is not very clear.

karaokeman

Greenmachine wrote: »

Point 1 is not very clear.

1 is saying I'm the artist and claim entitlement to authorship rights. Does that sound more clear?

Greenmachine

karaokeman wrote: »

1 is saying I'm the artist and claim entitlement to authorship rights. Does that sound more clear?

It is clearer if you specify which rights you are claiming. Your original statement make no mention of what rights you are claiming.

Mr. Incognito

Copyright for blogging is unenforceable. Multi jurisdictions and the copier can lift and change it around.

Not much you can do to protect it.

Very very very few blogs are worth anything in monetary / advertising terms

spookwoman

What if a website claiming to be blogging and promoting take a number of photographs from people without permission, with no credit or link back to where they got them from and then when confronted delete the pages, removes who owns the site and then to top it off claims they are not a company when chased for money. With regard to my own image that was taken they claim they found it and cannot remember where.

conorh91

spookwoman wrote: »

What if a website claiming to be blogging and promoting take a number of photographs from people without permission, with no credit or link back to where they got them from and then when confronted delete the pages, removes who owns the site and then to top it off claims they are not a company when chased for money. With regard to my own image that was taken they claim they found it and cannot remember where.

Learn from your experience and watermark your pics.

The lack of practical legal remedies applies as per the above. The only difference is text bloggers typically cannot watermark their property.

spookwoman

I do and so do the others. The fact that they cleared up says a lot. I have screen shots pre deletion which should mean something.