Comments on: Do comments qualify as “content”? http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/05/29/do-comments-qualify-as-content/ ... at the intersection of media, technology, business and the web Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Who Owns Comments? Who Cares. - Regular Geek http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/05/29/do-comments-qualify-as-content/comment-page-1/#comment-338164 Who Owns Comments? Who Cares. - Regular Geek Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:32:48 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/?p=2454#comment-338164 [...] Ingram questioned whether comments qualify as content, specifically in the legal and copyrightable sense. Another post comes from The Last Podcast and [...] [...] Ingram questioned whether comments qualify as content, specifically in the legal and copyrightable sense. Another post comes from The Last Podcast and [...]

]]> By: Pamela Egan http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/05/29/do-comments-qualify-as-content/comment-page-1/#comment-374869 Pamela Egan Fri, 30 May 2008 16:14:18 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/?p=2454#comment-374869 If comments are not content, what are they? It seems to me that this is more a matter of semantics than anything else. If comments are not content, what are they? It seems to me that this is more a matter of semantics than anything else.

]]> By: Pamela Egan http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/05/29/do-comments-qualify-as-content/comment-page-1/#comment-340873 Pamela Egan Fri, 30 May 2008 12:14:18 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/?p=2454#comment-340873 If comments are not content, what are they? It seems to me that this is more a matter of semantics than anything else. If comments are not content, what are they? It seems to me that this is more a matter of semantics than anything else.

]]> By: assaf http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/05/29/do-comments-qualify-as-content/comment-page-1/#comment-340872 assaf Fri, 30 May 2008 07:44:25 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/?p=2454#comment-340872 a) yes, they are content,<br>b) and therefore, yes they are copyrightable, but<br>c) by leaving a comment you're giving someone else permission to use it, but<br>d) you still don't have a legal right to force someone to publish your content.<br><br>The thing to remember about copyright law is that it doesn't care to elevate the Web to some mystical level of Wowness, but gives it the same mundane treatment as any other medium for publishing.<br><br>So if you're curious, do a quick Google search. I'm sure you'll find some cases of oddballs suing newspapers for not publishing their letter to the editor, or trying to get compensation for their works. a) yes, they are content,
b) and therefore, yes they are copyrightable, but
c) by leaving a comment you're giving someone else permission to use it, but
d) you still don't have a legal right to force someone to publish your content.

The thing to remember about copyright law is that it doesn't care to elevate the Web to some mystical level of Wowness, but gives it the same mundane treatment as any other medium for publishing.

So if you're curious, do a quick Google search. I'm sure you'll find some cases of oddballs suing newspapers for not publishing their letter to the editor, or trying to get compensation for their works.

]]> By: Mark Trapp http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/05/29/do-comments-qualify-as-content/comment-page-1/#comment-340871 Mark Trapp Fri, 30 May 2008 04:46:01 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/?p=2454#comment-340871 I see; since it was posted at Friendfeed, it technically "originated" at Friendfeed. That could be a possible way to interpret it in court, should someone want to hold Friendfeed liable. I wonder if there is precedent for that approach. I see; since it was posted at Friendfeed, it technically “originated” at Friendfeed. That could be a possible way to interpret it in court, should someone want to hold Friendfeed liable. I wonder if there is precedent for that approach.

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