All of which is done, I suspect, with the express permission of the author(s)
of the FAQs. I mean, all of us here submitted our FAQs to rtfm in order to
be posted more widely, fully aware of that fact.
> So, somebody swipes a copy (after all, it IS machine readable) and uses
> it without attribution or, worse, edits it to change the meaning and
> then uses it with attribution. That's plain old plagiarism in the
> first case, and not "fair use" in the second. However, the idea of
> pursuing this with the idea of getting some redress from the courts has
> to begin with the notion that the author(s) have been somehow damaged,
> either in reputation or financially (or both) by the actions of the
> goniff who swiped the stuff.
In my case, my FAQ is entirely a work of fiction, a short story (well, with
all the additions, more of a novella now) written in the classic FAQ question
and answer format. If a publisher were to take this work of fiction and
print it, or if an "author" were to write an introduction and claim the work
was his, that would be a clear violation of my rights as the creator.
Just because I make my work available to the usenet community doesn't make
it any less valuable, financially or otherwise. And I suspect that many of
the others on this list feel the same. Whether your FAQ is a work of
fiction or fact, the author should control all rights to distribute it as
he or she feels fit. And if someone violates this right, there should be
some way to pursue the violator, and get recompense.
*My* work. *I* wrote it. *I* control it. And if someone tries to take it
from me, I feel justified in seeking renumeration.
> This isn't a matter of "damages" or becoming a bunch of sue-happy
> Americans by seeking redress in some court of law the moment we don't
> like something; it's a simple case of common courtesy----how people get
> along with one another in a cooperative venture.
Then how can we convince unscrupulous people that we have worked hard on
these documents, and they cannot expect to make money off of our sweat
without fairly paying us for it?
Bill.
* Bill Keyes /\ * bkeyes@lamar.colostate.edu *
* c////////=================|__|=> * Sic semper culiculis daemoniacis! *
* NoCoAnDeBHQ Commander & / \ * alt.devilbunnies FAQ Keeper *
* Bunny hunter Extreme <______> * http://www.xmission.com/~snowhare *
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