Hilarious threads
 

I have found this Forum recently and I am almost getting addicted to it. The question is: Why doesn’t someone take the most hilarious threads and place them in a book ?<BR>I would definitely have more time during the summer holidays (relaxed on the beach) for reading them as sitting in front of the PC…<BR><BR>No editors around? <BR>

Are you talking about the theft of... and profiteering from... the intellectual property of others?<BR><BR>Ownership belongs somewhere in the murkey land between the individual writers, and Fodors itself.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

The Fodors Message Board FAQ says the following:<BR><BR>"Can Fodors.com use the material I post? <BR>We do reserve the right to use the contents of the messages posted on the boards. Does that mean that your message could end up in a Fodor's guide? Not likely, since our writers personally check out everything that appears in our guidebooks. They may follow up on your recommendations, though."<BR><BR>So I guess it's not that murky afer all!

I only said it was murky because there is nothing about Fodors reserving these rights - - that means that the writer relinquishes the rights naturally conveyed by writing.<BR><BR>I don't think that either could get injunctive relief from the other in trying to re-publish what they have the rights to.<BR><BR>but as a corollary, no visitor here would have the rights to use material written here by someone else.<BR>

Rex, what part of the Fodor quote "We reserve the right to use the contents of the messages" did you not understand? Fodor owns the stuff you send them, you DO relinquish your rights when you submit.

Sheesh,ellen, you can make an argument out of anything!<BR>Was this the purpose of sergios post?<BR>

I totally disagree, Ellen. I agree that I allow them the rights to "USE" what I write when I post here. It's just like software, and like they are granted an unlimited license. A software author can give a "purchaser" unlimited license to software, but that doesn't mean that the author no longer has rights. Posting here could never be construed as relinquishing ANY of my rights to my own writing.<BR>

Oh please----like the stuff on this thread is "writing". Some of you take yourselves way too seriously.

Rex,don't worry I don't think anything you have ever commented on would fall into the hilarious category!<BR>

I'll sue your a$$ if you dare to publish any of my witticisms in a coffee table book!!!

Ellen:<BR><BR>I've posted things on this board that are excerpts from things I've already published. Fodor's doesn't own the rights to those things - the rights have already been purchased by travel magazines and newspapers. Fodor's has the right to USE them, period. If they ever published them in print, they'd have a potential problem on their hands. I say it's VERY murky, and if I ever want to come back to Fodor's to grab a few sentences I've already posted here to include in another article or book I'm writing, I'll do so without a second thought. It's very doubtful this would happen, though, as who would bother to follow every Fodor's publication to see if a few sentences of their had been stolen. I don't even read Fodor's publications.

But StCirq, the FAQ quoted above says outright that it's "unlikely" that they'd use material posted here. Meaning that there IS some small likelihood. By posting your stuff here, you are giving them permission to use your work. <BR><BR> Most publishing contracts are quite specific about what rights are being purchased from the author. If the exclusive US publication rights have been purchased by other publishers, YOU don't have the right to re-use the material!

But Ellen, I don't sell EXCLUSIVE rights - that's not something most smart writers do. Then you never get to retain any rights over your material - duh!<BR>I have the right to post anything, or any piece of anything, I've ever sold regarding most topics related to European travel anywhere on the net, and Fodor's can't just snap 'em up and publish them again without permission, no matter what they say. <BR>I don't think you understand intellectual property law, Ellen. I'll admit it's a complicated and murky field and I wouldn't say I understand it completely myself, but the basic premise is that if I create something, I own it, until I sell it to someone else, and when you post on Fodor's you don't sell it to Fodor's unless they pay you for it. When I get paid for my posts, I might consider relinquishing the rights. In the meantime, the stuff is mine, and I'll use it as I see fit, which isn't very often.<BR>By the way, I don't see Fodor's abusing whatever outrageous plans it has unveiled in the way of using posters' material. I figure they mostly ignore it and keep it separate from their print projects.

Well, from now on,I want to see the money before I post one more thing!

xxx, I'm going to sue you for using my name in your post without my permission.

No, Rex is usually the lampooned subject of the funny threads....like the hilariously classic Hanky parody of Rex's nonstop posting from Italy. Brilliantly conceived comedy! And as always where Rex is concerned, totally deserved.

St Cirq: I'm curious. What have you published?

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THIS IS HILARIOUS.

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