# Copyrights and Poster's Original Works **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 27, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190 "2002-11-27T20:00:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/1 "2002-11-27T20:00:17Z")
I wrote something last year. When I presented it in written form, it has a copyright slug on it. I entered the entire written piece into a thread I started, after the Sept. 11th attacks. It was the OP of a thread, but the written piece that was the entire OP was mine alone. A Doper has mentioned that the Chicago Reader owns this piece of writing now. I would like to know if this is the position of the Reader- that anything posted into the SDMB becomes property of the Boards, even if it has been printed or offered for publication elswhere, with the " copyright 2001, by Cartooniverse " slug on the cover of the document. How does this work? Should I shy away from offering anything here that might ever be printed elsewhere, since somehow in posting it here, I am surrendering rights to a written work? It’s news to me, please give me the Straight Dope on this !!! 🙂 Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/2 "2002-11-27T20:52:44Z")
From the copyright notice below: > [@](#): > > No material contained in this site may be republished or reposted without express written consent of the Chicago Reader, Inc., **except that message board users retain the right to republish or repost their own work.** I take that to mean that if you’ve written something here, it’s still yours to print elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/3 "2002-11-27T21:37:23Z")
\*\* By posting on this board you grant the Chicago Reader, Inc., and its successors and assigns a nonexclusive irrevocable right to re- use your posting in any manner it or they see fit without notice or compensation to you.\*\* Is this the part of the notice which is bothering you? I take it to mean that the Reader could put any post or part thereof into a book if they wished to, without having to gain the permission of the poster and without having to pay the poster for using their post. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/4 "2002-11-27T22:28:19Z")
**reprise** is right, that’s the reason the Reader reserves the right to use your posts. Some message board questions have made it to columns, and might make it to the next Cecil book. Since the story **Cartooniverse** refers to doesn’t fall into that category, he doesn’t need to worry about the Reader using it. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/5 "2002-11-29T00:40:33Z")
Cartooniverse simply putting the copyright slug on a piece of work doesn’t give you any more protection under the law. You’ve got just as much protection in pieces which don’t have it on them. /end hijack ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/6 "2002-11-29T21:45:32Z")
[stupid question] If you create a cheap website with your (non-copyrighted) material on it, then link to it in your post, can that material be used by the Reader even though it’s not _in_ your post? [/stupid question] ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/7 "2002-11-30T00:08:29Z")
No, absolutely not. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyrights-and-posters-original-works/139190/8 "2002-11-30T12:30:43Z")
Thank you for the clarifications- I haven’t been ducking the thread, I’ve been negotiating my way through a 92 lb turkey. :eek: **AudreyK and reprise** quote two parts that seemed to confilct in my little mind. ( Thanks for doing them back do back- how very helpful !!! ). I do understand how this works now, and am pleased to feel as though I still have rights to my little magnum opus. **Coldie** , you mean that Cecil wouldn’t see fit to include a 14 page Narrative into his next tome, whose preliminary title is apparently , > [@](#): > > \*\* Mindless Blatherings Of The Straight Dope\*\* Why, I’m crushed. Apparently I’ve my choice of a 45 city speaking tour OR a spin-off series based on my Narrative starring Jude Law as me, and Mary-Kate and Ashley as the innocent waif daughter of the Cardiologist ( played gruffly by Brian Dennehy ). One can only hope but that I chose wisely. 😃 Cartooniverse