atw: Re: Copyright - legislation

  • From: "Andrew Jeffery" <andrewj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 15:59:28 +1100

Actually if something is 'in the public domain', it may be used by all
and sundry.

My brother manages some small regional newspapers and he often finds
that the 'his stories', i.e. stories that his newspaper or journalists
have unearthed, are often on the local regional TV stations.  The
newspaper receives no credit and there is nothing that he can do legally
(and yes, this was confirmed by the newspapers' legal eagles), because
the story is now 'in the public domain'

Finally, would it not be easier to phone the relevant parliament (or if
o/seas legislation, then its' representative in Oz) to clarify if you
can use it rather than wasting everyone's time over it??

-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Petra Liverani
Sent: Thursday, 13 November 2003 3:15 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Copyright - legislation


Hi Peter,

> While the legislation may be in the public domain, this does not mean 
> you can automatically use another person's or company's hard work in 
> gathering, collating, scanning, cleaning and overall creative ability,

> without permission!

I don't know what your definition of public domain is. I thought a work
in the public domain meant that it could be freely used by anyone
without asking permission - that doesn't mean it shouldn't be
acknowledged - there's a difference between passing something off as
your own or using it with acknowledgement. I could quote huge tracts of
Henry James without paying a copyright fee but I wouldn't want to try to
say I wrote them myself. In the case of leglisation, its source is the
most significant aspect to it, so people are hardly not going to
acknowledge it. Besides, who'd want to take credit for the writing of
most legislation?

Regards,
Petra

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