[conspire] Copyrights

[kw6 at xmission.com]

As an author, I would like to point out that what I write is my  
personal property from the moment of creation -- it does not need to  
go through any formal process or registration -- unless it is done as  
work-for-hire.  For instance, when I'm hired to Americanize the raw  
translation of a technical manual originally in another language, the  
rights belong to whoever hired the work to be done.

My work is NOT public domain, unless I decide that it will be.  If I  
choose to license it to someone for publication, it is still mine  
unless I sell ALL rights.

For others to use my property to make money for themselves, but  
without paying me, is THEFT.

You may say that Google putting my work online isn't like someone  
stealing your car.  After all, a car has intrinsic value, and it is  
the representation of the hours that you spent to earn the money which  
bought it.

Likewise, my work has intrinsic value, to those who pay me for it.  It  
also represents the hours that I spent creating it.

Even if I put my work online for all to read, that does not give  
anyone the right to make money by copying it for others, and Google is  
in the business of making money.

I am in no guild (though I could be in as many as a dozen), and no  
guild has the right or power to make agreements with Google for my  
work, any more than the local car club has the right to sell your car  
to a wrecking yard.

There are many out-of-print publications which are in the public  
domain (copyrights expire) should be preserved, but it needs to be  
done legally, protecting the rights of legitimate owners.  Anything  
for which the copyright has expired, thus is in the public domain,

Keith R. Wood