Question regarding internet plagiarism.

[apeZ]

Little question.

If someone says something, such as a joke, or statement on a message board - is it automatically copyrighted to them, or can other people freely use it in their work etc?

I know that if its true, it would be hard to enforce, but just curious.

 

[semi-pro waster]

In what way would you be making use of it? If it is just for you then it probably matters little but as a point of principle you should quote your sources and give credit where it is due. I'm skirting the complexities of asserting moral and economic rights here deliberately although if necessary we can get into them as well.

 

[apeZ]

For example, if you wrote an article etc, and quoted it directly. Would you have to cite your source?

 

[semi-pro waster]

If I wrote an article and quoted it in my own work? Aside from probably being a bit narcissistic to do so(cf university lecturers who recommend their own books over other superior texts) then the copyright is yours to do with largely as you please, subject to any caveats in the contract with the publishers.

If you are writing an article and using someone elses work then you should cite your source, it is important for academic works as it enables them to be checked, if it is for a magazine/news article then it is important to prevent the publishers or author potentially being sued for misappropriating anothers work without permission. There are of course issues with fair dealing, criticism and parody but I'm assuming here you mean as if you would pass off the work as your own.

 

[apeZ]

If I wrote an article and quoted it in my own work? .

I mean - You write an article, and take a quote posted somewhere on OCUK forums, not by yourself (for example). Does the person who posted the original quote have rights over it being used etc?

I can understand if it was a book, because they have recorded and published their own words - but if it is a comment left on a message board, does this still apply?

 

[Cybermyk]

As said, you don't have to but if you don't you'll look pretty stupid if someone else quotes the source. Even stupider if they've quoted from a book or something and not mentioned it.

 

[semi-pro waster]

I mean - You write an article, and take a quote posted somewhere on OCUK forums, not by yourself (for example). Does the person who posted the original quote have rights over it being used etc?

I can understand if it was a book, because they have recorded and published their own words - but if it is a comment left on a message board, does this still apply?

Someone has written it, if the form of words is their own, basically they have copyright. It's going to be very hard to enforce in many cases and the economic or moral rights will almost certainly be worth negligible amounts so you might escape without getting sued for it but in theory at least you could be pursued I suppose.

You might be able to argue about it being in the public domain and whether they have expressly exerted their moral or economic rights over it (something along the lines of "Copyright 2008 semi-pro waster" would probably be sufficient). On the flipside they might struggle to prove that it fits into the category of a literary work which is one of the categories to attract protection.

In essence, quote your sources. At the minimum you'll look like a tool if you don't and are found out, at worst it could potentially leave you open to legal action.

 

[Energize]

To be eligible for copyright something must be original and have effort gone into it, so forum posts are generally not copyright.

However plagarism and copyright theft are two completely different things.