IP and Copyright Discussion

[Anonymous]

Post away.............

 

[RandyT0001]

This post and this post are direct quotes of material published on another forum without quotation marks nor permission. The copyright holder has requested that the infringing posts be deleted. Mongoose should comply as owner of the board with this request even if Gamer Dude doesn't. The thread does not need to be locked. I would hope that Mongoose would discipline Gamer Dude for the violation with (at least) a (week's/month's) suspension or possibly a complete ban.

 

[Claybor]

So, now random posts on the internet are 'published material'? Very amusing.

 

[CosmicGamer]

This topic led me to finding this web site: http://www.intelproplaw.com/

 

[rust]

Frankly, I do not care whether this is a matter of intellectual property
or copyright, or whatever legal stuff.

If someone informs me that he does not want his posts quoted or co-
pied unto another forum, I will not quote his posts or copy them unto
another forum - in my view it really is that simple.

Acting against another person's declared wish without necessity is both
impolite and terribly bad style.

 

[RandyT0001]

So, now random posts on the internet are 'published material'? Very amusing.

If you haven't downloaded and read Mongoose's Traveller Developer's Pack before let me quote a part of it that is revelant to what is considered "published":

The campaign my group is currently playing is set in the Original Traveller Universe – but the Fair Use Policy and Logo Licences do not cover what I want to do! Does this mean I can’t write new material for use in my own gaming group???

Of course not! What you get up to within your own gaming group has nothing to do with us – we wish you the very best of luck with whatever games you have going! The Fair Use Policy and Logo Licences are only required if you intend to make your material available to the general public.

Note that ‘to publish’ covers not only printed books, but also documents such as those in Word or PDF formats, and web sites. Whether you are charging money for these items or giving them away for free makes no difference – if it is intended for the general public, it is still publishing!

So if I was to copy and post Mongoose's High Guard on my own website or even on the RPG forums I would be violating their copyright. Even if I had recieved notification to remove the material and didn't the owner of the forum board or the server that hosts my website would have to comply with a request to remove the material or face possible criminal and civil action. That's why those websites that had songs for "free music downloads" got shut down several years ago and it's why most thieves went to peer to peer software to download their "free music", it's more difficult to track and address individual home computers versus website servers to take legal action for copyright infringement. So yes, posts to the internet is "published" material and are protected by copyright.

 

[Vile]

Not to mention the fact that quoting someone else's posts from another forum against their express wishes and without using tags, not once but twice, is very simply plagiarism.

 

[Dave Chase]

There is also a difference between quoting and referencing a source

To quote is to use actual parts of something as it has been stated. (1)
To paraphrase is to use one's own words to describe something that has been stated by another (2)
To refer is to point someone to location, source, or other that they can then use to gain more (information) about it (3)

To Quote
usually requires the source to be listed or completely understood from where the quotes come from

To Refer
(link) OR List the actual book, p...or information d : denotation, meaning [url]

 

[Ishmael]

made a new footer thanks to this thread......
HA!

 

[Treebore]

IT would help to keep published IP works separate from internet rambling posts. The laws only apply to one, not both. Plus a lot of laws have not been determined yet, like blogs, for instance. Especially ones that allow for "interaction".

Now pictures, artwork, and things like that are pretty clear, but random musings on message boards are not. In fact, I bet it would be such a legal headache that copyright protections will never be extended. But then again it could produce a lot of easy money for lawyers, so they will likely tell you "I can try to do something... That will be $100.00."

If message board posts become copyrighted material I will quit the internet all together and let the corporate suites rule everywhere.

 

[mmbutter]

Frankly, I do not care whether this is a matter of intellectual property or copyright, or whatever legal stuff.

You know what EDG's .sig says to me?

"I, EDG, am a complete A**hole."

 

[rust]

I would hope that Mongoose would discipline Gamer Dude for the violation with (at least) a (week's/month's) suspension or possibly a complete ban.

Mongoose has decided to permaban EDG instead, adding insult to
injury.

Well, I guess I will stay away then, too, at least for quite a while.

 

[TravellerArt]

I'm with rust on this.
Bad decision there, Matt, you banned the wrong guy.
This place is getting as bad as CotI, I can't be bothered with it anymore either.

 

[crazy_cat]

Agreed, bad call Mongoose. You bannned the wrong person - Gamer Dude poisons every thread he posts in.

 

[Anonymous]

Now that is just the wrong call

 

[Anonymous]

You know what this isnt worth the trouble anymore.
If trolling is OK on the board then its gone mad.

If EDG was banned then why didnt Gamerdude get the same action against him ?

 

[FreeTrav]

I think the administrators goofed here - whether one approves of EDG's position on his posts or not, he was the injured and provoked party, and should not have been banned - that privilege should have been reserved for the provocateur, GamerDude.

 

[Klaus Kipling]

Agreed, bad call.

 

[AndrewW]

Ok, we may not agree on the decision but it seems like it has been made and I don't see much point in continuing to discuss it. Can we move on?

 

[captainjack23]

Did someone hear about this from EDG himself ?

Keep in mind that this may be at EDG's request -he has requested to be banned before when he tried to quit, so that he didn't get tempted to return to a forum that he found so aggravating. And, as we know, he did come back, and did get further aggro (as he saw it). Keep in mind that was about a year ago. His recent attempted departure (before the IP/fuel thread) was just his most recent attempt to separate from here.

Regardless, I'm sure it's more complicated than just the events of that one thread, or who pissed off who that one time. And yes, I'm aware that quite a few people acted poorly in this matter. With one exception, a new poster who was obviously trolling, this forum has have tolerated worse in any given thread without resorting to permabans. So, I think its more cut and dried than red vs blue. My 2Cr.

To those who feel a need to take a vacation, I'll miss you; but not doing so, and staying where a situation badly pisses one off, is a big part of what has happened here. And I'm not just singling out EDG in this regard.

Good luck to all.