A niche website for artists and authors recently went offline. We want to resume their work, and rehost the old art/stories

[quincy]

Both of those are ideas I had not yet thought of. I will be giving them both heavy consideration.
And thank you, I'm fairly certain I'll need the luck.

You’ll do fine. You have already taken the first best step by investigating the legalities involved in setting up your website.

Too many who come to this site come only after they have messed up and are facing a legal action filed against them.

We all appreciate the thanks, Virgil, so thank you.

 

[zddoodah]

I currently have no way to contact the previous site's owner. He has "gone dark" from all of our discussion platforms. But the sole moderator for the site is making vague threats regarding anyone re-hosting the art/stories, and so I feel that it is best to be forearmed before letting our new site go public.
If you haven't had the joy of dealing with artists and authors yet, just know that absolutely everything has to be done dramatically.

I both am and have dealt with artists and authors, and that's certainly not true as a general matter.

That said, "it is best" not to proceed without licenses from the copyright owner(s). If I'm understanding what you've posted, the site in question was a place where folks uploaded their content, so you'd have to contact each individual author, and the owner of the old site could not give licenses or sue for infringement of the uploaded works (except that the owner of the old site could sue for infringement of any content that was his/her/its own). Sounds like you may already have obtained some permissions, so that's a good thing for you.

 

[Virgil Vulpes]

I both am and have dealt with artists and authors, and that's certainly not true as a general matter.

That said, "it is best" not to proceed without licenses from the copyright owner(s). If I'm understanding what you've posted, the site in question was a place where folks uploaded their content, so you'd have to contact each individual author, and the owner of the old site could not give licenses or sue for infringement of the uploaded works (except that the owner of the old site could sue for infringement of any content that was his/her/its own). Sounds like you may already have obtained some permissions, so that's a good thing for you.

You're right, it's not absolutely true, but sometimes it feels true. (And I needed to laugh)
In fact most of the people I talk with are incredibly kind and helpful.

We've started contacting all of the active artists that we are able to locate and ask for their permissions.
It's no small task, but we'll do the best we can.

 

[quincy]

You're right, it's not absolutely true, but sometimes it feels true. (And I needed to laugh)
In fact most of the people I talk with are incredibly kind and helpful.

We've started contacting all of the active artists that we are able to locate and ask for their permissions.
It's no small task, but we'll do the best we can.

Artists and authors tend to be very protective of their works. The creative material they generate is often looked at as their “babies” so they can, indeed, be a bit dramatic when defending their works and their rights in them.

Although I understand your desire to republish works held by the old website, you are establishing a platform for artists and authors to display new material generated, as well. For that purpose, you are on safer legal ground. The rights held in these new works do not come with questions. You might want to concentrate most on this.