# A question concerning fair usage of board material and copyrights **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 26, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526 "2003-02-26T01:33:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/1 "2003-02-26T01:33:03Z")
Today somebody pointed out the number of views that the “horror of blimps” thread got, and I was stunned. I went to google and put in “horror of blimps” and sure enough this thing is everywhere, and I’m happy. While every site that I’ve seen mentioning the piece provides a link to the board, I’ve noticed that a couple of them have reproduced it in its entirety. I’m not sure how I should feel about this. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/2 "2003-02-26T05:27:56Z")
You should provide us with some links so we can drop them a friendly email asking them to remove it. They can LINK to us but they cannot reproduce in entirety. Even in cyberspace, there IS copyright. Thanks. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/3 "2003-02-26T23:42:38Z")
I can do dat: [http://www.mail-archive.com/eristocracy%40merrymeet.com/msg00185.html](http://www.mail-archive.com/eristocracy%40merrymeet.com/msg00185.html) [http://www.netslaves.com/messages/pg-message\_read.asp?tid=200302181854501763&tkey=6505](http://www.netslaves.com/messages/pg-message_read.asp?tid=200302181854501763&tkey=6505) ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/4 "2003-03-03T14:53:09Z")
It’s OK for another site to post a link to an SDMB thread. It’s not OK for them to republish entire posts without permission, particularly when, as in this case, there is a clear prohibition against doing so at the bottom of the page. The simplest thing is e-mail the operator of the site, explain the situation, and ask them to yank the post. If you get no response, e-mail me and I’ll send them one of my Orson-Welles-voice-of-doom notes. I’ve asked Tuba to send preliminary notes to the two sites above. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/5 "2003-03-04T00:56:31Z")
Thank you, Ed. I’ll do that to any new ones I see, and let you know if I encounter any difficulties. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/6 "2003-03-12T19:27:55Z")
Got another one: [http://forums.rpgforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152649](http://forums.rpgforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152649) ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/7 "2003-03-13T00:46:47Z")
I’ve sent them all nice little love notes, let’s see what they do here. It is my sincere hope they cooperate. your humble TubaDiva Administrator First the little stick, then the big guns. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/8 "2003-03-16T17:41:37Z")
Any updates? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/9 "2003-03-19T14:36:11Z")
It’s still posted there. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/10 "2003-03-19T21:18:56Z")
Y’know, I just Googled on a random phrase from **Scylla’s** work (_LARGE SILENT SINSITER MENACING FLOATING PRESENCE_, actually), and got the following hits, which appear to be reprinting the entire story without attribution: [http://www.droyer.org/~dave/archives/000175.php](http://www.droyer.org/~dave/archives/000175.php) [http://www.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/000238.html](http://www.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/000238.html) [http://users.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/2003\_03.html](http://users.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/2003_03.html) (same site, different page) [http://www.hq.sk/pipermail/haluze/2003-February/010045.html](http://www.hq.sk/pipermail/haluze/2003-February/010045.html) [http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Lyssa](http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Lyssa) [http://www.chaplainsnotes.org/archives/2003/Mar17-21-03.htm](http://www.chaplainsnotes.org/archives/2003/Mar17-21-03.htm) And the following with attribution, but still the entire story: [http://www.arwen.org/](http://www.arwen.org/) [http://www.pimpsmax.com/archives/2003\_02\_01\_pimpsmax\_archive.shtml](http://www.pimpsmax.com/archives/2003_02_01_pimpsmax_archive.shtml) In addition, perusing boardreader for the same phrase yields: [http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?threadid=6072](http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?threadid=6072) [http://www.chevelles.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/015406.html#0](http://www.chevelles.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/015406.html#0) [http://www.asylumnation.com/asylum/showthread.php?threadid=28434](http://www.asylumnation.com/asylum/showthread.php?threadid=28434) [http://www.customtruckshowcase.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=5945](http://www.customtruckshowcase.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=5945) [http://www.berthall.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=8416](http://www.berthall.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=8416) I’m assuming this is done without permission, yes? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/11 "2003-03-20T00:51:58Z")
I have written two sites ([http://www.droyer.org/~dave/archives/000175.php](http://www.droyer.org/~dave/archives/000175.php) [http://www.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/000238.html](http://www.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/000238.html) [http://users.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/2003\_03.html](http://users.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/2003_03.html) (same site, different page)) and asked them to remove the material. I copied TubaDiva and Ed on the emails. Now I’m gonna go fix and eat dinner. I’ll have to get to the rest of the sites later, if someone else doesn’t tackle them first. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-concerning-fair-usage-of-board-material-and-copyrights/157526/12 "2003-03-20T08:05:29Z")
You’re one for two. [http://www.droyer.org/~dave/archives/000175.php](http://www.droyer.org/~dave/archives/000175.php) has removed it. [http://www.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/000238.html](http://www.wpi.edu/~elisab/MT/archives/000238.html) has not.