# Does Chicago Reader own the text?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chicago-reader-own-the-text/78360
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [August 27, 2001, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chicago-reader-own-the-text/78360 "2001-08-27T17:51:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chicago-reader-own-the-text/78360/1 "2001-08-27T17:51:05Z")
I saw something very interesting that I initially thought may be of interest in another MB community. I was going to paste the text and a link on the other MB, and email the author of the text to let him know his thoughts were elsewhere on the net. I ended up not doing it because it was in The Pit and I didn’t want to edit out the language. In case you are interested, the thread was the thread on the Detroit Lions.
But it got me thinking… does something that gets posted here automatically become property of Chicago Reader? Even if it’s someone’s own thoughts. This person put a lot of work into that I thought it was pretty clever.
If I had done that would I be violating anything that I agreed to when I signed up? There would have been a link to the site and if the author wanted it removed, I would have removed it.
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### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chicago-reader-own-the-text/78360/2 "2001-08-27T18:00:29Z")
Read the footer on the bottom of every page:
> [@](#):
>
> 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.
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### Author:  [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chicago-reader-own-the-text/78360/3 "2001-08-27T18:08:52Z")
Doh! I never read the fine print.
> [@](#):
>
> except that message board users retain the right to republish or repost their own work.
Does that mean if user X gave me permission to use their material, which they have the right to republish, I can do it without pissing Chicago Reader off?
Maybe it’s splitting hairs but I’m just curious.
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### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2001, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chicago-reader-own-the-text/78360/4 "2001-08-27T18:16:28Z")
Hmm. IANAL, but it does say ‘their own work’. I _imagine_ that the author retains the right to distribute their work as they see fit, so if they are happy for you to use it elsewhere that would be fine. As I said, though, I’m no lawyer.
Sorry I can’t be more help.