Since Miguel specifically mentioned my signature file, I thought I would
explain my logic. My knowledge of the copyright laws is a bit out of
date; so, some of the logic might be based on assumptions that have
changed because of court rulings.
1. Something which made available to the public is considered
published. This could be as simple as posting a photograph in your
office. With thousands of people on TIPS and there being a public
archive, it would be hard to argue that this is not publishing.
2. If something is published with out a copyright notice, it
immediately becomes public domain and no permission is legally required
to use it. Fair use laws only apply to copyrighted material.
3. I don't think that most of what I have to say is all that profound;
but, I would rather have the intellectual property rights protected on
the 99% of stuff that is garbage just so I don't forget and leave it off
that 1% I meant to put the copyright notice on. That is why it is
automatically include in the signature file.
4. Intellectual property rights are lost if something is published
without the copyright notice. Intellectual property rights are not
protected until the copyright is registered with the government. Do I
really register everything I write? No. But registering a collected work
is as good as registering each item individually. So, every year I
choose the best of what I have done, collect it together in a volume
called, Works of David Wheeler, Year xxxx, then register that.
5. I give the permission for use statement so that TIPsters can use it
for their classes or forwarding it to their colleagues without emailing
me. I want the signature left on so that people know where the idea
came from and to protect the intellectual property rights. This is just
like what you would do if you were using a graph which someone had
published in a paper of your own.
6. The monetary gains exclusion is put in there so that if your are
going to be using this in a book or presentation for which you will be
getting paid, I would be able to ask for some royalties. My
understanding of the fair use laws is that an immediate distribution to
your students is OK. If you use it every semester, then you need
permission. It's like showing today's Dilbert cartoon in class. That
is ok, but don't do it next year and don't use it at your APS convention
presentation without permission.
7. Should it be TIPS policy? No, it is an individual issue if they want
to protect their individual intellectual property. Bill Southerly could
choose to copyright the entire archives if that is disclosed to people
when they register.
Miguel Roig wrote:
>
...snip...
Then, I noticed the copyright
> information (below) in David Wheeler's post and I began to wonder whether this
> is something that TIPS might want to adopt as an informal policy. There is
> nothing in the TIPS guidelines concerning the forwarding of messages. So,
> what do you all think? Bill Southerly, what do you think?
>
> >From David Wheeler's signature:
>
> >Copyright 2001 All rights reserved. Permission is granted
> >for redistribution in whole or in part providing it is not
> >used for monetary gains and this signature file is included.
>
> Miguel
>
> <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
> Miguel Roig, Ph.D. Voice: (718) 390-4513
> Assoc. Prof. of Psychology Fax: (718) 442-3612
> Dept. of Psychology [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> St. John's University [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 300 Howard Avenue http://area51.stjohns.edu/~roig
> Staten Island, NY 10301
> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
--
-David Wheeler, Ph.D., PHR, CMT [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://RMC_SHRM.tripod.com
Associate Professor, Psychology, Robert Morris College, Pittsburgh PA
USA
http://www.robert-morris.edu
Copyright 2001 All rights reserved. Permission is granted for
redistribution in whole or in part providing it is not used for monetary
gains and this signature file is included.
Remember, the Earth is a place, earth is dirt. See how silly this
looks: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, earth, Venus, Mercury
--
