Twice in the last week the topic of copyright or personal use has come to my attention.
I know as genealogists, we like to help each other. Businesses and companies on the other hand are in the business of making money. *If you are a member of a subscription service*, such as Ancestry, etc, you MAY NOT provide a look up from another member and post it here, there, or anywhere on the Internet. Again, you MAY NOT post your look ups ANYWHERE. You are in violation of your Terms of Agreement with these companies where you agreed to use their subscription service for your own PERSONAL use. Looking something up for someone and posting it is not for YOUR personal use. *Creating indices from the microfilm at your local Family History Center* (FHC): Family Search, which operates the Family History Centers (FHC) made agreements with the various governments around the world about fair use of their microfilms. Many FHCs now stamp the boxes with verbage telling you about using the film for personal use only. Creating an index for an entire freguesia and posting for all to use is in violation of PERSONAL USE. *CCA and Personal Use*: Post the link or URL for YOUR ANCESTOR that you need help with. Again, YOUR ANCESTOR. And if you think you have a lot of ancestors from a particular freguesia and creating an index would be really useful, I'd go find a lawyer who is well versed on international copyright and fair use. I wouldn't go around telling the Internet that I have an index, if I were you. *Uploading an individual record*: I was told that the Arquivo Regional de Madeira (ARM) will NOT allow the public posting of their records. (Scanning it and uploading to a website, forum, or group). I don't have the details (perhaps it was considered a "recent" record that is covered under privacy laws, perhaps the public posting of the record is not considered personal use). I don't know what the CCA thinks about this. Always, always, POST THE LINK / URL to the record and that will solve that problem. I know we like to share and help. But the world is full of laws and lawyers and rules and regulations. So be careful out there. I know you have the best intentions, but Terms of Service may say otherwise. Cheri Mello Listowner, Azores-Gen Researching: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada -- For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to azores+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores.
