INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTED BY U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW
by Sharon Rondeau
(Jun. 16, 2013) — The Post & Email has become aware that despite copy-protection and copyright notices on every article it publishes, various bloggers are reproducing our work without our permission or proper remuneration.
U.S. copyright law protects proprietary work from duplication, alteration, and distribution. U.S. Code, Title 17, Chapter 5 states:
(a) Anyone who violates any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner as provided by sections 106 through 122 or of the author as provided in section 106A(a)…shall be subject to the provisions of this title in the same manner and to the same extent as any nongovernmental entity.
(b) The legal or beneficial owner of an exclusive right under a copyright is entitled, subject to the requirements of section 411, to institute an action for any infringement of that particular right committed while he or she is the owner of it. The court may require such owner to serve written notice of the action with a copy of the complaint upon any person shown, by the records of the Copyright Office or otherwise, to have or claim an interest in the copyright…
“Copyright” means that the work is unique to its creator and is available for reproduction only by a signed agreement between both parties, which in the case of The Post & Email, includes a circulation fee. The entire U.S. Copyright law can be read here.
The Post & Email has attempted to reach the blog owners responsible for the latest examples of unauthorized reproduction and alteration but received no response. As of this writing, our work remains on their sites.
The following are examples of work reposted on other websites without our permission. In all cases, our original article has been altered by adding photos, cartoons, captions and other material, which is called “plagiarism.”
http://dancingczars.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/will-the-republic-stand-after-the-truth-is-known/
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=28268&pst=1628798
It takes many hours to assemble a well-researched article but only a few minutes for someone to steal, repost, and plagiarize it.
To our knowledge, those who have stolen our most recent articles on Glenn Beck’s news are not even subscribers to The Post & Email.
Because of extraordinary expenses made necessary by Obots hacking the site over more than two years, The Post & Email must ask a small subscription fee for its work, which we believe is unique on the web. There is also a free level which offers limited content. We believe our rates are the lowest for the high-quality news and editorial we provide. The stealing of our work is injurious to our attempts to grow into a full-fledged news organization.
Making copies of copyrighted news reports is the same as copying music: illegal. The copyright owner will never reap the rewards of his or her diligent work if it is copied without remuneration for the time and effort required to produce it. If America is to regain any semblance of capitalism, its people must think like capitalists rather than take other people’s work and expect it to be free.
Nothing in this life is free, not even our freedom, which is why The Post & Email works seven days a week to bring its readers the latest news in government corruption.
For those interested in reposting our work on an unlimited basis, please subscribe at Level 5.
Editor’s Note: We are aware that many people reproduce The Post & Email’s work and circulate it to email lists. We would greatly prefer that you suggest that everyone on your lists buys a basic subscription. If they are hesitant, they can spend as little as $7.00 for a three-month trial.
The Post & Email appreciates the consideration of those bloggers and emailers who have reposted a small portion of or a link back to The Post & Email.
The Fair Use standard also allows for short quotations from an article with proper attribution. The Post & Email never uses anyone else’s work without a link back to the source for attribution, and we reproduce only very short sections for purposes of informing the public. The overwhelming majority of the article is always our own original work.
The Fair Use Standard section of Title 17 concludes with the following advice to those wishing to reproduce copyrighted works:
The safest course is to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material. The Copyright Office cannot give this permission.
When it is impracticable to obtain permission, you should consider avoiding the use of copyrighted material unless you are confident that the doctrine of fair use would apply to the situation. The Copyright Office can neither determine whether a particular use may be considered fair nor advise on possible copyright violations. If there is any doubt, it is advisable to consult an attorney.
Any of the above offenders can reach this writer at editor@thepostemail.com to make arrangements for remuneration of the work they have taken without permission. Otherwise, we will expect our work to be removed from your respective websites within 24 hours to avoid legal action.
Hi Sharon,
I’m sorry this is happening to you! The content of your work is so outstanding, though, I have to say I can not blame them for wanting to copy it. I agree, however, they must be held to task for doing so without your permission, and it is unconscionable that they have altered your postings. Keep after them, but as importantly, keep up your excellent work. The Post & Email is my favorite, and I always look forward to your most informative twice daily alerts.
THANK YOU!
KJR
Plagiarism is flattery. It’s cheap, it’s illegal, but it is flattery. Thank you, Sharon, for your originality.