Story hour publishing and copyright issues

[Umbran]

Hey, for all I know Umbran is just someone who made all that up because he enjoys being contrary.

For cryin' out loud! Ask for free advice, then question the motives of those who give it to you? Classy. Really, wonderfully classy. Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.

However, just 'cause now you made it sound like I'm the jerk here...

What you're looking for is called the "idea-expression divide".

"The idea-expression divide differentiates between ideas and expression, and states that copyright protects only the original expression of ideas, and not the ideas themselves. This principle, first clarified in the 1879 case of Baker v. Selden, has since been codified by the Copyright Act of 1976 at 17 U.S.C. § 102(b)."

I reiterate - if you are really-o, truly-o worried about this, get yourself a lawyer. And a professional editor too, while you're at it.

In my personal opinion, this sort of thing is great for Elizabeth Moon, who has the talent, discipline, and drive to use it to provide a rather remarkable story quite worth the reading - I recommend The Deed of Paksenarrion to any D&D player out there. But I don't imagine it was *easy* for her to do. It is no quick-fix, simple solution for folks who want to scrape the serial numbers off mediocre fan art so they can publish it and say, "Hey, I'm an AUTHOR!" It is a protection for those who are taking some basic ideas, and adding plenty of their own content and style to produce something cool and new.

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

Hey, for all I know Umbran is just someone who made all that up because he enjoys being contrary.

No, that would be goldo.

 

[Janx]

It's not about being told what I want to hear, it's about wanting reliable information. If you're telling me something I consider unreliable and when asked for a source respond "hey, you don't want our help, hit the bricks. You can find this info as easily as we can," I can't use that.

Also, I can't find this info as easily as someone in the know could, that's why I asked a forum where people may have published their stories. I don't know where to go to look up laws. So I'm back at square one, but I seem to have a vague direction to head in. The locals say this way is north, I guess I'll go north for a bit and ask the people at the next village. Thanks everyone.

It's not like we done told you some idea that sounds like a loophole that could get you in legal trouble.

So I'm not sure what you think is so unreliable.

You have consistently shown resistance to everything Morrus, Umbran and I have said. I know I am disinclined to go hunt down sources to prove I'm right, when I already know from reading and experience how copyright law fundamentally works with regards to quoted/copied text or usage of trademarked materials.

Your responses, while reasoned, put you in the bucket of "how can this guy NOT be accepting a fundamental principle of copyright law as truth?" There's probably nothing I can say to sway you.

So good luck.