Call me naive. Call me idealistic. But I actually think that people who claim to be Christians would, at the very least, make an attempt to be ethical and to obey simple laws. Oh, like for instance, copyright laws.
I am now officially tired and impatient. You see, I just decided to cut short my latest wearying internet search for my copyrighted articles that have been posted without my permission. There is at least one person that simply has refused to remove my article. Refuses. Will not do it. Doesn't think he/she has to. Doesn't care. Tries to argue that posting the copyright notice gives him/her unlimited permission to take my words and reprint them anywhere. Seems to think he/she owns my copyright now.
And this person --- along with the vast majority of those who have taken my words without my permission --- claims to be a Christian.
Maybe what I need to do, on my next sweep, is to make a list of the offending websites and post them here. Call out the violators of copyright laws. Perhaps it will stir their consciences.
This entire blog is copyrighted. Really. I mean it. You can link to it; you can even quote from it. [NOTE: taking all or most of a post and putting it on your blog is NOT "quoting".] But you didn't write it, so don't lift stuff from it without permission. Otherwise I will get highly annoyed. Besides, it's illegal and dishonest and not nice.
Note to professing Christians: you are not above the copyright laws. If you are one of those people who think you are, please repent. I'm serious. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but you do not own my words. Please, in the name of all that is decent and holy, stop stealing.
Same goes for my old website. Stop stealing. Please.
This post, along with my entire blog, is copyrighted. Please read and honor the copyright notice at the bottom of the sidebar. Thank you.
I know you aren't referring to me because i've never linked to you before (though I did get the idea for the weight loss ticker from you!).
ReplyDeleteDoes linking to someone count as copyright infringement? I need to know because I do it regularly and I would hate to be doing something that is clearly wrong, though it wasn't clear to me.
Linking is fine. In fact, it's wonderful. It's the equivalent to telling someone, "Hey, wanna read this great article in this magazine here?"
ReplyDeleteBut, if you publish your own book, magazine, newsletter, church bulletin, website, blog, whatever --- you can quote briefly from something (with attribution) but you can't print other people's writings without their permission, especially if said works are copyrighted.
That's what irritates me about people who insist on reprinting my stuff without permission --- on the internet, it's really inexcusable because you can so easily link to the original article.
Thanks for asking, though. I've run across some wonderfully cautious people who have asked me for permission to link to my articles. I'm always flattered, especially since it really isn't necessary to ask.
By the way, I've been enjoying your blog!
Rebecca, contact their web host and complain. Often the web host will do something about it.
ReplyDelete