Comments on: Microsoft watermarks clutter up public domain works—and Google-style copyright issues also arise http://www.teleread.org/2008/03/13/microsoft-watermarks-clutter-up-public-domain-works-and-google-style-copyright-issues-also-arise/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:31:34 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michael Ward http://www.teleread.org/2008/03/13/microsoft-watermarks-clutter-up-public-domain-works-and-google-style-copyright-issues-also-arise/comment-page-1/#comment-735513 Michael Ward Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:17:03 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/13/microsoft-watermarks-clutter-up-public-domain-works-and-google-style-copyright-issues-also-arise/#comment-735513 Once in the PD, always in the PD. They could just as usefully warn people that they are forbidden to eat it with tomato sauce; that warning would have just as much legal effect. However, I see no reason why they can't tag the book to show who did the work of making it available to us. Credit lines are always in good taste. Once in the PD, always in the PD.

They could just as usefully warn people that they are forbidden to eat it with tomato sauce; that warning would have just as much legal effect.

However, I see no reason why they can’t tag the book to show who did the work of making it available to us. Credit lines are always in good taste.

]]> By: Dr Klaus Graf http://www.teleread.org/2008/03/13/microsoft-watermarks-clutter-up-public-domain-works-and-google-style-copyright-issues-also-arise/comment-page-1/#comment-735470 Dr Klaus Graf Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:09:29 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/13/microsoft-watermarks-clutter-up-public-domain-works-and-google-style-copyright-issues-also-arise/#comment-735470 There is a good word for this: Copyfraud (see Mazzone's excellent article) There is a good word for this: Copyfraud (see Mazzone’s excellent article)

]]> By: Brian Carnell http://www.teleread.org/2008/03/13/microsoft-watermarks-clutter-up-public-domain-works-and-google-style-copyright-issues-also-arise/comment-page-1/#comment-735451 Brian Carnell Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:32:11 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/13/microsoft-watermarks-clutter-up-public-domain-works-and-google-style-copyright-issues-also-arise/#comment-735451 I also occasionally see people trying to establish a copyright interest in OCR'ed text of a public domain text. I've seen universities, for example, that have taken a public domain newspaper article, posted the text of that in a web page and put a very clear "this is copyright." IANAL but its my understanding such claims would be especially weak in court so I've tended to ignore them and reproduce it anyway (thought not identically to the U's presentation). But it creates a lot of FUD as well as confusion about whether these docs are really in the public domain. I also occasionally see people trying to establish a copyright interest in OCR’ed text of a public domain text. I’ve seen universities, for example, that have taken a public domain newspaper article, posted the text of that in a web page and put a very clear “this is copyright.” IANAL but its my understanding such claims would be especially weak in court so I’ve tended to ignore them and reproduce it anyway (thought not identically to the U’s presentation). But it creates a lot of FUD as well as confusion about whether these docs are really in the public domain.

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