http://thisistrue.com/copyright.html (Internet on a CD, 07/1998)by Randy Cassingham |
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No. True is for personal use only and may not be copied, except that you may manually forward a copy of the free e-mail version only to a friend by e-mail. If your friends want to receive True each week, they should get their own subscriptions. 2) Can I send True to a large list of people by e-mail, or set up an automatic reflector or mailing list? No. See Question #1. 3) The copyright notice says "storage on ... information retrieval systems" is prohibited. Does that mean I can't keep it on my hard disk? Strictly speaking, no, but go ahead and read it first! What we
want to prohibit is people keeping "archives" of Trues -- copies
of many issues -- on their systems, or alternative distribution sources.
The way we pay for this whole thing is to sell books compiling the
columns each year -- so you can keep getting it for free! -- and archives
reduce the value of the books. So while it doesn't really matter if you
have an issue sitting around for a week or two while you get around to
reading it, please don't store an archive. (For information about the book,
4) Can I quote one or two items for my joke list, if I give you full credit for doing it? No, True may not be sent out to a list (see Question #2). 4a) Well, actually, I was thinking of picking out my favorites and passing them along, but I'll give you full attribution. No, unless you're a for-profit publication, in which case you should contact us regarding purchasing non-exclusive rights, which are quite reasonably priced. But feel free to tell people that they can get the weekly feed by e-mail if you think they'll enjoy True. Forwarding is, as the copyright notice says, an "all or none" proposition, and forwarding to a large list is never allowed. |
No. True does not violate any copyrights. Facts and ideas cannot be copyrighted -- by anyone (which is why so many books and movies are similar). But the expression of those facts and ideas -- the "value" that the author adds by putting interpretation and thought into it -- is what gets copyrighted. Randy Cassingham rewrites all of the news items using the facts from the stories using his own style, but never copies the expression or style of the news source. True is written with its own expression, and, of course, adds Randy Cassingham's commentary; these are the elements that we copyright, and such is well recognized as completely legitimate (read, for instance, any Dave Barry column: he writes about news stories, but doesn't run them verbatim. Randy also writes about news stories, and does it in a journalistic style that may look like it's a copied article, but it is actually a highly stylized summary -- plus, obviously, his editoral comments).
Not without "prior, written permission", which is granted to Admins only on a case-by-case basis. Several terms (outlined in the permission letter) must also be adhered to. Send your request by mail, fax or e-mail, with the following info for our statistics:
If we agree to the request, you will receive the permission in writing at your mailing address. The permission is valid for one year (which may or may not be renewed) and you must agree to the terms of the letter, which includes strict limits on distribution (only local use; no echos, etc.) and expiration limits.
No, not ok. Permission is granted to individual system admins who agree to take the responsibility to monitor and control distribution; putting True on a network implies lack of such control. Nor may True be put on any Web site without payment of our syndication fee (please tell us about any sites you find you think are in violation of copyright -- we reward those who tell us about violations!) We welcome others to have links to our site on their pages if they wish -- please use http://www.thisistrue.com/
Not really -- we don't ever have a shortage of material, and it usually makes things more difficult on us. (Besides: we often already have the items people offer us.) But if you find something you just have to share, it's best to drop a quick note to Randy to ask if he has it already. If not, he'll need the original or a clean photocopy that shows the publication name, the date it ran, and (if possible) the page number. He does not accept items you found on the Internet, no matter how plausible it looks. For more details, see the "article submission guidelines".
We get this one a lot, especially from public and student stations. It is in fact possible to purchase rights for over-the-air use. Please have your station manager contact us.
If you are a reviewer for a publication, the "fair use" provision might cover you if you are reviewing True for your publication. You would be in the best shape, though, if you asked for permission even in this case. For more on fair use and other general aspects of copyright (i.e., not pertaining specifically to True), see Brad Templeton's easy-to-understand article, "10 Big Myths about Copyright Explained" at http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html. In other words, no: "fair use" does not apply to swiping pieces of True: it is a violation of copyright law and of our rights.
By picking up our paperbacks! Info on how to get This is True books is available right here.
Hey: you're getting a great deal -- amusing, thought-provoking stuff delivered to your computer for free. But please remember that a copyright is property, and it's our property! We're putting it on the net for your amusement, but if control over the free distribution is lost, it will shut down, and you'll only find True in a few newspapers here and there (and odds are it won't be near you), or by paying for a subscription. So please help us to protect and control our property so that you can keep getting it for free! Our copyright is already pretty generous; please respect our terms.
"This is True" is a registered trademark of Freelance Communications.
Page Updated 9 June 1998
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