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Copywriting a family tree

K

kmt123

master brummie
Hi all:)

Could someone please tell me how you could copyright a website if it a family tree website?

I am asking this for a number of reasons but if i did a family tree on the website and someone else in the same family did the same what would happen?

just need some advice...
thanks kmt:)
 
I am no expert regarding copyright.

But as far as I am aware anyone can research someone else's family tree. We do not need permission.

I know that in the case of Genes Reunited website if someone adds your name to their tree without your permission you can ask the Genes Reunited team to remove this.
This would include any living relative where permission has not been sought by that person.
However , this does not include deceased relatives/ ancestors.
As I understand , The dead have no rights.


If it is a family story or incident that you have published this should be marked copyright
The keyboard short cut for this is - Alt 0169

I am sure the web will have details on copyright.

Incidently , my own extensive research was originally passed on to two people, who then forwarded to others , it has been half way round the world and has come back to me , as someone else's research !

I fully agree that family history is for sharing, but not when I have no credit for the expense or the hours of hard work I have put in.

Grumble , over for today :D

Bo
 
KMT123, When you copyright a piece of work, you can-not just write it down and then add copyright you must in fact copyright it. This is proof that it is your work should a case of fraud arise.
If you set up a web site for all to see you have a good chance that it will be copied, what is to stop them, how will you know. IF, they produce it for monetary gain, then you can sue them. but in the case of family trees that would be very difficult to prove unless the whole work was illustrated the same and verbatim...Cat
 
The UK Goverment website has some information about copyright. It might be worth looking at it?
 
It is not enough just to write copyright on something which most people do - The reality is you have to pay for copyright to be registered -and it can be can be quite costly. . . Only then is the law on you side if someone has copied
 
if a person has put living people on a tree and photos of these people without permission, how can they copyright this work?

kmt
 
I am puzzled by some of the advice given. Copyright exists (even in this short note) once it is written and dated.

Thus Author Bernie D'Boult 05 March 2009

What protection that actually gives however is open to debate and by publishing it in this way it is already out in the public domain. However eBay, for example, recognise what I have said and will remove say photos or copy that has been grabbed from another user's sales. It is easy to get around though by simply rewriting with alternative words in enough places.

I worked for a large engineering company that for quite a while depended solely upon the design drawings being dated and signed. They also won legal cases when people like Quinton Hazell ripped off their designs for the after market.

To be honest tought e only way to fully protect anything is to keep it to yourself and show no-one. Not a lot of use but the only way IMHO.
 
Thanks for that Balrog I was busy typing when you posted that excellent link.
 
kmt123 said:
thanks for your replies, but not much on there about family trees lol
Click to expand...
What the actual subject matter is is not relevant as far as copyright is concerned - it covers any written work, drawings or say Photos.

Caution - Moving into Barrack Room Lawyer Mode Now.

I feel the main issue with Family Trees is that whilst you may do the work any member of the family could perhaps argue that they own their little bit and therefore challenge your use of it just as you could argue your ownership as you did the work.

It is not unusual say for large companies to offset a transgression of a competitor's patent by digging up a patent of their own that their competitors has transgressed. The same would probaly go for copyright.

My own opinion, for what it is worth, is that the only winners in any dipsute would be the Lawyers and Solicitors.

That will be a £10-00 dontaion to the BHF fund please - I thank you.
 
If you give permission for others to view your tree they may copy the information, What one does is give permission to view via a code of admittance.
To copyright is easy, being a writer i do all of my own copyrights and i must add there is a little more than just writing and dating work...Cat
 
The 'big boys' are losing the battle most of the time these days, because of the internet. As has been said, to copyright anything is expensive. If you do not want your family tree copied, then do not put it on the internet. But we all copy 'something' to get our family tree. We glean information from many sources. Copyright is infringed many thousands of times, every second, on the internet, so policing it is becoming almost impossible. I suspect the laws will be changed/relaxed in the near future, or it will be generally accepted that they are not adhered to in the same fashion, as when we were purely dealing with 'the printed word'.

Ann
 
Yes you are correct Ann B, with regard to pilfering from the web. But, if one finds their work has been used for gain then whomsoever can be sued. It will be a long time before the legals of copyright are discarded...Cat
 
Hi wasn't there something about Face book refusing to return personal details or deleting them from their site the argument was that Face Book was trying to rewrite the copyright laws under the threat of further action face book said it would reconsider their recent rule changes I cannot remember if it was here or America cheers 33bus tom:)
 
Hello 33 BUS, This is one of the reasons why you should be careful what you put onto the WEB. IF YOU DON'T WANT OTHERS TO SEE IT DON'T PUT IT ON...Cat
 
Catkin it seems a number of people are saying copyright is expensive. Can you explain if this is so - preferably in simple terms.
 
hi all can i just say that some of you know that i have made a website with my hubby about his canal boat families, now someone had done this before who is a very distant cousin, his website was copyrighted but he had photos and names of living people on the website with no permission from my husbands family, this man went on a forum at the weekend and said that i had copied his work which has upset other members of the family because they have worked hard on this and it has cost a lot of money, i am happy for anyone to copy my tree but he also sent an abusive email calling us names, any information as to what to do next would be grateful, he is also sending members of the family emails?

kmt :(
 
KMT - IM sent.

My view is that no specifics should be posted but that is up to you. If he is using images without the consent then he may be open to action himself - particularly if he obtains any income through the site..
 
As I understand, it's a 'free right' to protect ones Intellectual Property with the inclusion of a copyright symbol, preferably signed and dated but not always necessary. The purpose is to make others aware that you value your work and may take measures to protect or restrict its usage. Many of my tales/stories on my web site which I have shared here carry such a mark. I have copyrighted works of art, movies and designs that I have produced. Work that I have produced whilst in the employee of a company remains their property.
The simplest way to for me to register my work's authenticity is to post a copy of it back to myself or another trusted person and keep the date stamped document unopened.

Last year some photographs that I had placed on my Flickr account were spotted by an editor of Wikipedia. He contacted me and asked whether I would release my copyright so that they could use them. I agreed and relinquished my rights in return for an acknowledgement.
Photographs in the common domain may be used without concern

This link may be of interest:
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-about.htm

Most recently Facebook has been in the headlines for attempting to alter their joining rules by indicating that they will hold the rights to all material posted on their site. This is a battle which will run, the implications are wide and may cover sites such as this.
 
One should copy one's work, as indeed you need to do this at least three times, Then you post it to yourself, (it must not be opened )...It is advisable to date your work, It will also be dated by ( it' post mark) including your name and address. Should you need to amend you must carry out the same procedure, do-not open the original work to amend.
With regard to ART, you can copy a masters work, but you must not put the masters name to it, if you do, it then becomes fraud.
Family trees... I no longer add to mine for several reasons, should you wish to share it (then so be it).
I posted last week on buying information from the WEB.
THERE ARE, AS YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DEVIOUS FOLK ABOUT (THEY CAN SELL YOUR TREE)...Cat
 
I have just found my legals on copyright, If you have anything specific which you would like to know i will read it through and give you a brief synopsis of it's meaning. Not having looked through this document for a long time, i was amazed at the mine field. I will leave the offer open for a week.
You cannot get this information from the web otherwise i would have directed you there...Cat
 
I know very little of legal matters, could I juat ask one question, if you posted,say on this forum a picture that was someone elses would you be infringing thir copy
right? Some years ago the Derbyshire BS sent out a calendar which 12 prints or painting to its members, they were of steam locos, and I know that people on this
site would love to see, like Alf. The DBS were sponsoring the Midland Railwat Trust at Butterly, Ripley, at the time, anyone know??? Bernard
 
Why would anyone put their family tree on the web? Who else would be interested in it other than family? I think that market value is all that the consideration is when copyright is contemplated. I thought that I read on here that 50 year old photographs are out of copyright.
There are many canal sites on the web and I suppose that someone pays the price to put them there. You don't seem to have to pay anything to view them so whats the big deal.
I suppose there are evil clueless B's out there who will claim your stuff as their own but if you don't know about it what does it matter. This site has a lot of intereating info on it for reference but mostly I think it is for comunication and friendship and debate and above all contact, with a local historical flavour. It's so large now that it is hard to find anything.
 
I think you need to err on the side of caution with any work / photograph etc another person has produced and ask permission before you use it or at least put an acknowledgement of the source/author of the material you are using. I think you may be allowed to quote a short part of the written work but I am not sure about a calendar as someone must have taken the photographs and therefore may own the copyright.

This link may give you some more info.

https://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-about.htm

Louisa
 
rupert you would be surprised what people go through with all this family tree stuff lol but without someone putting something on the internet about my husbands family i would never have known where to start.
 
oh how i hate that word copyright:redface: most of you know my views on this...if someone puts pics on the internet via any source its obvious that anyone can save them and surely the owner of the pics must know this...i may be wrong on this but i think copyright is mainly to protect other peoples pics being used to make money for anyone other than the owner of the pic and even then that cant be guaranted....ive posted hundreds and hundreds of pics on this forum taken from magazines like carl chinns brummagem and also from his newpaper articles and also from many books and had no problems at all....after all this is a history forum and photos do play a large part in it and my sole purpose is only to share with others... i did however ask carls permission to take pics from his birmingham lives site and post them on our forum and he had no problem at all with it...all i do after posting any pics from his archives is put pic courtesy of carl chinn underneath...

bernard i really dont know what to suggest with your train photos..but if you are unsure as already suggested it may be an idea to try to contact whoever printed the calander and ask permission...

lyn:)
 
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