Articles and copyright

[Sionnagh]

On the karateresource main site:

"Articles

If you think you can write an article that will help your fellow karateka in their training then why not submit one to [e-mail].

<snip>

Please note that if you have previously submitted an article elsewhere there may be issues regarding copyright. Original material is preferred, if you have previously submitted an article elsewhere please let us know so that we can check the current situation with regards copyright."

Does anyone know what the situation is with submitting articles elsewhere? I do know that basically anything you write is automatically copyright. What I'm not sure of is transfer of copyright.

I'd assume that if you submit an article to a publication for printing then you may have to sign some sort of authorisation which may transfer copyright to the publisher.

BUT I don't whether a notice to the effect that "any articles submitted and subsequently published automatically transfers copyright to the publisher" is valid. Any ideas on this?


Mick

p.s. See, I can post new stuff instead of just commenting on other people's posts ;D

[AngelaG]

Sionnagh said:

On the karateresource main site:

"Articles

If you think you can write an article that will help your fellow karateka in their training then why not submit one to [e-mail].

<snip>

Please note that if you have previously submitted an article elsewhere there may be issues regarding copyright. Original material is preferred, if you have previously submitted an article elsewhere please let us know so that we can check the current situation with regards copyright."

Does anyone know what the situation is with submitting articles elsewhere? I do know that basically anything you write is automatically copyright. What I'm not sure of is transfer of copyright.

I'd assume that if you submit an article to a publication for printing then you may have to sign some sort of authorisation which may transfer copyright to the publisher.

BUT I don't whether a notice to the effect that "any articles submitted and subsequently published automatically transfers copyright to the publisher" is valid. Any ideas on this?


Mick

p.s. See, I can post new stuff instead of just commenting on other people's posts ;D

I have no idea to be honest, but would definitely be interested in finding out.

I posted the above paragraph because I wasn't sure of the copyright law, and the last thing I need is some law suit because of copyright infringement. The site is not the cheapest to set-up and maintain, and I cannot afford any extra costs.

Plus I wouldn't mind sending some of my articles in to some mags for consideration.

So if anyone does know, please share the knowledge.

Angela

[thingy]

Copyright laws are pretty complex things I think. I know I spent some time looking into it a while ago after our band recorded a demo, and after a while of reading around I wasn't much the wiser.

Sionnagh is right, anything you write/record automatically has copyright. How you prove that you've written it/recorded it before anyone else has is another thing (music gets more complicated because people can take a copy of your music, like taping a song from the radio, or they can learn how to play it, record a new version themselves and then release that).

From what I remember there are basically 2 common methods of copyrighting in ways which are proveable.

1) The proper way: You send your document/thing to a copyright firm and they copyright it.

2) The cheap way: You put your document in an envelope and post it to yourself. Make sure you post it recorded delivery and then it's been signed for, and it is date stamped. Once you receive this envelope in the post, don't open it.

Reading around there are certainly differing views on how effective option 2 is. Some people advocate it and some say it's not great.

So if you want to send some articles to magazines, maybe you should copyright them first ?
Up to you really.

I'm afraid I don't know about transfer of copyright, and so this really is another useless post from me. We would have been pleased if anyone would have taken a copy of our demo, just so long as they didn't appear on Top of the Pops singing our song live to the nation after getting the Christmas number 1.

[Sionnagh]

For recorded and print media etc there is (at least in Australia) a thing called Legal Deposit. It costs nothing more than submitting a copy of the work to the National Library. I have done this with some of my work which means I have a copy on public record should someone rip it off and put their own name on it.

From the National Library of Australia website (www.nla.gov.au):
Legal deposit is a statutory provision which obliges publishers to deposit copies of their publications in libraries in the country in which they are published. Under the Copyright Act 1968 and various state Acts, a copy of any work published in Australia must be deposited with the National Library of Australia and the appropriate State library. In New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, legislation also applies to other libraries and a copy must also be deposited with these libraries. Legal deposit extends not only to commercial publishers but also to private individuals, clubs, churches, societies and organisations. Legal deposit of the material is the sole responsibility of the publisher or author.

I imagine there would possibly be something similar in other countries since international agreements exist for protection of copyright.


Mick