# Message board book?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-board-book/529594>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 19, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-board-book/529594 "2010-02-19T04:33:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-board-book/529594/1 "2010-02-19T04:33:08Z")

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Could one legally compile a bunch of replies from a message board into a book without encountering any copyright problems?  
Peace,  
mangeorge

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-board-book/529594/2 "2010-02-19T05:28:03Z")

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Scroll way down to the bottom of the page. By posting here, you’re giving the Chicago Reader (actually, Creative Loafing, now) permission to do whatever they want with your posts, without asking further permission, and in fact one of the Cecil Adams books did contain excerpts from the board. For anyone else to do so, though, they’d have to get permission from either Creative Loafing, or each and every individual poster they quoted.

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-board-book/529594/3 "2010-02-19T14:15:39Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Scroll way down to the bottom of the page. By posting here, you’re giving the Chicago Reader (actually, Creative Loafing, now) permission to do whatever they want with your posts, without asking further permission, and in fact one of the Cecil Adams books did contain excerpts from the board. For anyone else to do so, though, they’d have to get permission from either Creative Loafing, or each and every individual poster they quoted.

I was thinking more of the “anyone else”. But not for this board. You guys _are_ fun, but…

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**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-board-book/529594/4 "2010-02-19T18:36:57Z")

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> [@mangeorge](#):
>
> I was thinking more of the “anyone else”. But not for this board. You guys _are_ fun, but…

The rule isn’t limited to the Dope, though. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

In general, unless you wrote the content yourself (online or in meatspace) you’ll need permission from _someone_ to avoid copyright issues. Period. Full stop.

The Dope (and most message boards) get an exemption from this because they’ve included a clause to this effect in your end user agreement, as well as through the disclaimer that’s posted on the bottom of each page. Basically, every time you post here, you’re providing implicit consent that they can use your content however and whenever they please.

If you’re not the poster and you’re not the board owner, then your book idea would most definitely violate copyright.

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-board-book/529594/5 "2010-02-19T21:34:02Z")

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> [@Mahna\_Mahna](#):
>
> The rule isn’t limited to the Dope, though. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
> 
> In general, unless you wrote the content yourself (online or in meatspace) you’ll need permission from _someone_ to avoid copyright issues. Period. Full stop.
> 
> The Dope (and most message boards) get an exemption from this because they’ve included a clause to this effect in your end user agreement, as well as through the disclaimer that’s posted on the bottom of each page. Basically, every time you post here, you’re providing implicit consent that they can use your content however and whenever they please.
> 
> If you’re not the poster and you’re not the board owner, then your book idea would most definitely violate copyright.

Dang! I guess I’ll have to keep my day job.  
I retire next year. 🙂