Thursday, April 2, 2009

Media Law

This post has nothing to do with Montana Elk Hunting.

Stealing content from any source and passing it off as your own is ILLEGAL.

I have seen lots of it on other blogs.  People write in their own voice and then a "copy and paste" appears in the writing.  Most of the time I don't say anything, but today I ran across a question at the discussions on blogcatalog (it is here).  The question was, "Is copying and pasting a site content on my blog stealing?"

YES.

I will step down from the soapbox now.

Information on copyright law can be found at  www.copyright.gov.  

Additionally, anyone doing journalism--blogging is journalism--should have a copy of the The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law
.  The stylebook is updated once yearly, but they don't change much.  If you get one you will notice it is similar to a dictionary.  However, it has some querks.  It is best to read it over a week or so to learn those querks.  

You probably don't need a thesarus, but a good dictionary is essential.  Most computer dictionary programs are "cheap."  Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (Red Kivar Binding with Jacket) is a great source.

TTFN

2 comments:

Albert A Rasch said...

Great Post!

Professor Heyser straightened me out on a couple of finer points, that they didn't teach in the days before the net.

You can pretty much keep in the clear, if you link back to the originator of the writing or image by name.

The exception is those places that want you to use their verbiage in your writing. But in those cases you have permission from them to use it in that fashion.

Regards,
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
The Range Reviews: Tactical
Proud Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

Deer Passion said...

I agree. It's a great reminder and with so much information floating around on the internet, it's easy to plagiarize without realizing it. I believe it's essential to pass on important stories, and articles, but it's more important to make sure that you have links to the correct sources. Don't pass anything off as yours, when it isn't.