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I have had a poem copied from a poetry site I go to. It has been posted on another website I really do not approve of. I have tried contacting that site for two days with no response. The webpage does acknowledge my poem under my screen name it was written, but it was printed without permission.

My question is: is there really anything I can do about it? The web is such a large place, and people copy things all the time. I find this very upsetting, and question mostly myself whether to post things like my poetry anymore on the net.

What suggestions do you have, if any?

How would you feel if it was you?

I feel horrible.

chonsigirl;511853 wrote: I have had a poem copied from a poetry site I go to. It has been posted on another website I really do not approve of. I have tried contacting that site for two days with no response. The webpage does acknowledge my poem under my screen name it was written, but it was printed without permission.

My question is: is there really anything I can do about it? The web is such a large place, and people copy things all the time. I find this very upsetting, and question mostly myself whether to post things like my poetry anymore on the net.

What suggestions do you have, if any?

How would you feel if it was you?

I feel horrible.


you can look up the site owner at whois.net

write the site owner a professional sounding letter letting them know how much you will charge them for the use of your poem if it is not removed within one month. or whatever time period you choose.

Address it to "Legal Affairs"

As far as I understand, once a piece of work is made public, in full or in part, you cannot unpublish it. However, you can demand royalty payments. One for acquiring it and another for broadcasting it.

I am not up to date on the copyright law so it's worth researching it.

no comment





:wah:

Thank you Koan, I will use that link.

Thanks Koan, that punched right up with their address and all. I will write them via snail mail tonight and get the stamp tomorrow since it is in another country.

Pinky;511878 wrote: If you've put your name to it, no-one can (or should) use it without your permission.






When you're riding in a time machine way far into the future, don't stick your elbow out the window, or it'll turn into a fossil.

That is a good idea, and some of my poetry is already copyrighted and registered in the Library of Congress in a chapbook format.

Clipper;511888 wrote: I think in order to protect your work you must have it Copyrighted BEFORE you publish it or post it on the Internet......

Why don't ya PM Tombstone....mebbe he can help ya out on this...


I believe that proof of prior publish is sufficient.

Proof of copyright is a matter of being able to show that you had a cooy before anyone else. This can be done by simply sending a copy of it to yourself by special/recorded delivery and leaving it sealed inside the envelope to be opened only in court. Obviously, the outside of the envelope should be marked so the work inside it can be identified. It's as simple as that.

Once a work has been placed in the public domain, it cannot be retracted. Anyone can use it but must pay a royalty for that right.

Wish you luck with your claim, Chonsi.

"Public Domain" is very different from "published". "Public Domain" invariably means non-copyright material.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright# ... yright_law has a section on the exclusive rights of the copyright holder which includes the right to perform or display the work publicly. Nobody else is allowed to copy it wholesale onto another website, regardless of even offering to make a royalty payment for doing it.