Comments on: 5 Copyright Facts Every Blogger Should Know

By: Web Design Chester

Web Design Chester — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:58:56 +0000

I set up Google Alerts that would notify me when my articles were re-indexed on Google. Most of the sites that have used the articles followed the rules set by Ezine but a few were claiming the work as their own. I decided to contact a few of them because I was quite annoyed. About three hours later my site went offline due to too much traffic (ddos). Just thought I would share my story. Be wary of contacting the copyright infringers.

By: Ana @ Blog Traffic

Ana @ Blog Traffic — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 03:45:20 +0000

There is a lot to know about plagiarism, that's for sure Jonathan.

I never realized that just publishing your work in say a blog constitutes copywriting. It's good to know for my own protection.

I recently had someone simply republish my post verbatim without any credit whatsoever.

The sad thing is it doesn't look like I can do much about it.

Any suggestions are much appreciated, Jonathan.
My recent post 9 Untapped Ways To Make Money Blogging TODAY

By: Buzz On Or Buzz Off? | Benjamin Collins

Buzz On Or Buzz Off? | Benjamin Collins — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:23:11 +0000

[...] 5 Copyright Facts Every Blogger Should Know [...]

By: Make It Your Own « Join the SMH Buzz

Make It Your Own « Join the SMH Buzz — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:18:41 +0000

[...] a great article written by Jonathon Bailey, “5 Copyright Facts Every Blogger Should Know” that highlights key points to consider before publishing content. And YouTube offers some [...]

By: Social Media and Internet Marketing for Creative People » Blog Archive » 5 Copyright Facts Every Blogger Should Know

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:59:21 +0000

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By: Chad

Chad — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:29:51 +0000

Depending on the site for which you are providing a guest post, you may have more than just a TOS. You may have an agreement or contract, and you should be familiar with the terms of your contract. As someone who does a fair amount for freelance writing, when I am paid for the work, the site owner is claiming exclusive rights to the content I have written. That is what they are paying for. However, these terms should be spelled out specifically in any agreement you may enter in to with the site owner.

By: Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan Bailey — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:54:17 +0000

To answer Larry's question very quickly, the answer actually lies in the terms of service of the site. This is why you need to read those TOSes carefully.

Most hosts grant themselves a non-exclusive license to use your content within the context it was submitted. That means you can post your articles and videos elsewhere as they have no exclusivity.

If there isn't a TOS, such as with this site's comment box, there is an implied license for the host to use it as a comment. This means your actions, by hitting the "Submit" button, act in such a way that you indicated your permission to engage in certain behaviors with the work, such as display it, reformat it to fit on the page, etc.

To answer your question though, read the TOS closely though I am yet to find a host that claims exclusive rights on your work so it shouldn't be an issue. No matter what though, your host does not "own" your content, instead, they have a set of rights to it that you grant them.

Hope that helps.

By: Larry

Larry — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:10:56 +0000

Can anybody address my question above? Was hoping to hear from the author — still do — but would love to hear from anyone who is clear on the use of guest posts by an original author after the fac. Thanks — Larry

By: Saša

Saša — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:20:57 +0000

Yes, smaller countries even don't have an idea what copyright is … so it's bigger problem for them to learn and find out what they can and what they cannot.

By: watch soccer live st

watch soccer live st — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:00:01 +0000

thanks,, i dont know if you dont share here, its very helpful..

By: Larry

Larry — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:17:27 +0000

Good stuff. No, great stuff. Here's a related question: when you guest post on someone else's site, who owns the copyright to that article? Are we giving way the copyright, or allowing "rights" for the host to use it, meaning we are then free to use it (again) for our own purposes? I do a lot of guest posting and this would be good to know. For the most part — with one exception — the hosts are more than willing to allow me to use my work again… sounds odd when you put it that way, doesn't it. Hope you can clarify. Thanks.

By: Jack Shit « A Very Busy Mind

Jack Shit « A Very Busy Mind — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:45:36 +0000

[...] 5 Copyright Facts Every Blogger Should Know (for my blog friends out there – just thought you’d find it interesting) [...]

By: Brendan Wenzel

Brendan Wenzel — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:02:42 +0000

This was a discussion I was having last night with a few friends that thought it was ok to look through Google images and use them without permission or attribution on their posts. I think it is ethically wrong to steal other people's work and claim it as your own in any way shape or form. Thanks for helping educate on this issue.

By: justin locke

justin locke — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:12:27 +0000

matt, if you hit a "forward button on a news site you are not forwarding the story, you are giving the publisher of the item an address for them to ship the story to if they so choose. no doubt the story will include an ad and a pitch to subscribe or become a regular reader, and they get higher ratings for ad revenue.

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:29:13 +0000

That's a good rule to follow, but not 100% true as it does not account for public domain. There are a lot of public domain works on the Internet, both text and images, and public domain is not restricted by copyright. Just because an item is saved on the Internet does not in and of itself mean that it is copyrighted. It also becomes complicated by the fact that someone can take a public domain work, modify it in some way, and claim copyright of the derivative work. While you can assume that an item is copyrighted, you can't assume that an item is in the public domain (one will get you into trouble, the other won't).

I would say that bloggers should always err on the side of caution and assume an item is copyrighted. When in doubt, ask permission.