Just curious: a question.

[chris11]

Hey, I was wondering if
I were to post a poem
of mine on this website,
whether someone
would steal my poem
and claim it to be theirs.

I doubt this is the case,
but I believe that I
need reassurance...

That's my question. Please answer it (seriously).

 

[sabbath92003]

Hey, I was wondering if
I were to post a poem
of mine on this website,
whether someone
would steal my poem
and claim it to be theirs.

I doubt this is the case,
but I believe that I
need reassurance...

That's my question. Please answer it (seriously).

I doubt anyone would steal your poem but it's always a possibility.

 

[Hoth]

You'd better hope they do. A copyright infringement lawsuit is a great way to get rich... the poem doesn't have to be worth anything to sue for huge punitive damages.

 

[dpr]

If you're really worried about it, you can always do what's known as "poor man's copyright."

That's where you mail a copy of your poem to yourself, but it has to be registered mail (so that you have to sign for it when you get it).

The post office stamps the date across it before they mail it to you and then when you get it, you just keep it somewhere and don't open it.

Then, if anyone tries to publish it as their own in like 2012 or whatever, you can take your unopened envelope with the date stamped across the seal to court and be like "I wrote this in 2008, bitch!"

I personally don't care if people steal my stuff, so I just post it on here anyway, but if you care then you should do the "poor man's copyright." It's some kind of proof, at least.

 

[nephatitus]

If you're really worried about it, you can always do what's known as "poor man's copyright."

That's where you mail a copy of your poem to yourself, but it has to be registered mail (so that you have to sign for it when you get it).

The post office stamps the date across it before they mail it to you and then when you get it, you just keep it somewhere and don't open it.

Then, if anyone tries to publish it as their own in like 2012 or whatever, you can take your unopened envelope with the date stamped across the seal to court and be like "I wrote this in 2008, bitch!"

I personally don't care if people steal my stuff, so I just post it on here anyway, but if you care then you should do the "poor man's copyright." It's some kind of proof, at least.

that sounds like a crazy but good idea

 

[Hoth]

It's not really proof. Wikipedia says "Use of this method may not hold up in a court - as it is simple for individuals to pre-send envelopes which can then be used later by placing the actual IP materials inside." Who can prove whether you licked the envelope before mailing it? I could mail an envelope and then stick next year's best-seller in it to start a lucrative lawsuit.

It would be more effective proof, actually, to post it on this forum and hope that archive.org puts it in their index showing that it was published on the web back at this date (or just the post on the forum itself would count for evidence if this site continues to exist and doesn't lose old posts). You'd need a co-conspirator running the website to forge that.

 

[nephatitus]

pdf it?

 

[dpr]

If you're really worried about it, you can always do what's known as "poor man's copyright."

That's where you mail a copy of your poem to yourself, but it has to be registered mail (so that you have to sign for it when you get it).

The post office stamps the date across it before they mail it to you and then when you get it, you just keep it somewhere and don't open it.

Then, if anyone tries to publish it as their own in like 2012 or whatever, you can take your unopened envelope with the date stamped across the seal to court and be like "I wrote this in 2008, bitch!"

I personally don't care if people steal my stuff, so I just post it on here anyway, but if you care then you should do the "poor man's copyright." It's some kind of proof, at least.

that sounds like a crazy but good idea

Actually, yeah I meant to say it's kind of an "old skool" thing to do, and I've never heard of any cases where it's been used as proof like in court or anything, but my dad told me to do it.

Whoever said PDF, that's probably an ever better idea. Digital time stamp! That would kind of be irrefutable in court wouldn't it? Cuz you couldn't fake it, like you could with an envelope and steaming it open.