Web postings, publishing, and copyrights

[pcgumshoe]

Sorry, I clicked the wrong button and locked the other one and double posted...

What is the name of your state? FL

Many people (not anyone on here), have said that I need to write a book. My therapist and I agreed that she would "save" my stories that I email to her until she has enough to start the book. She and I are in agreement with this, but I'm beginning to post things "online" and in some of the Free sites, like this one, there is material that I may want to include in portions of my book (or other publishings). Not what other people have written, or responded, at least not quoted directly, but I might want to paraphrase them.

Knowing the answer to my own writings will surely tell me the answer to others (and I really am not seeking to "quote" others from this board and my question has very little to do with this board, but others unrelated to legal issue).

If I write something and contribute it to a "blog" or "email" or "forum" what are the copyright ownership rights? Do most websites automatically claim these rights? What about ideas and concepts that might become patents or trade-marks. I know that the patent office wants proof of when a person first designed or created a product.

In essence, I contribute a lot of my "experiences" wandering through the world and that will be contributory to my book and I want to make sure that I preserve those and that I don't hand over the rights to someone else unknowingly, nor would I want someone else to take what I've written and use it as their own work.

Am I explaining this right?

 

[divgradcurl]

If I write something and contribute it to a "blog" or "email" or "forum" what are the copyright ownership rights?

Well, you would retain the rights to your own words, unless you have an agreement to the contrary with the blog or forum.

Do most websites automatically claim these rights?

You would need to read the terms of service or other documents for each website you post to.

EDIT: Plus, this is not an all-or-nothing thing. Websites could, for example, SHARE the copyright of your posted materials with the website owner. Websites could also make everything posted move into the public domain. You need to read and understand exactly how each website deals with copyrights BEFORE you post to te website.

What about ideas and concepts that might become patents or trade-marks.

If you disclose an "idea" with enough specificity so that someone could "practice," or make or build or follow your invention (or "idea") then you will have likely started the 12-month clock ticking for public disclosure. If you just disclose a general "idea," well, ideas are not patentable, so disclosing the idea does not start the 12-month clock and does not foreclose someone else from using your idea to create and "invention" that IS patentable.

Trademarks are different -- it doesn't matter who came up with the "idea" for a trademark, trademark rights are acquired by use in commerce (and also via registration along with use), so again, it doesn't matter if you give up an idea and someone else uses it.

In essence, I contribute a lot of my "experiences" wandering through the world and that will be contributory to my book and I want to make sure that I preserve those and that I don't hand over the rights to someone else unknowingly, nor would I want someone else to take what I've written and use it as their own work.

Then you will want to be careful and only post the materials in places where you KNOW that you are retaining ALL of the rights to your written materials.

 

[pcgumshoe]

Thanks, now to find out about Google Groups and this forum (Again, my posts here have very little to do with matters that might be in a book).