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Subject:Re: Client misunderstanding of public domain From:Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:52:10 +1000
Traci Pearson wrote:
> Aargh!
> I've got a client who insists that I use content
> that is posted on the Web in a manual I'm doing
> for them. Not only that, they want me to edit the
> content to match the style of their manual.
>
> The writer of the content on the Web is someone
> they know and, apparently, he said they could use
> his manual (what he has posted on the web) to
> give to their (my client's) customers if they wanted.
>
> I told my client they'd better get express
> permission, preferably in writing, to actually
> use that content in their own manual (which will
> have my client's copyright on it) as well as permission to edit that content.
>
> One of their (my client's) managers said, No,
> they don't have to. It's posted on the Internet
> and therefore it is now "public property."
>
Besides the excellent suggestions and resources already
mentioned, you might also want to look at the site where
the material is posted. If there is any kind of rights
statement there, you can easily point them to that.
Good luck!
-- Janice
***********************************************************
Janice Gelb | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com | this message is the return address
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