Copyright guidelines (UPDATED)

[Tepcat]

If I give you a pfennig, you will be one pfennig richer and I'll be one pfennig poorer. But if I give you an idea, you will have a new idea, but I shall still have it, too. Albert Einstein

This quote illustrates the problem we are having within the story and RPG forums regarding the issue of copyright. An idea is an unusual thing in that it has a life of its own. It may inspire others to write SIMILAR things. Even if the story or RP starts out the same, the individual author has led a different life and will change the outcome of the story. There is very little originality in the world. It should be taken as a compliment that they felt your story was good enough to copy.

There are two exceptions to the above; putting a published novel onto the forum and doing a direct copy/paste of another story. The author depends on the sale of novels in order to pay the bills while writing more. Typing that into the forum deprives them of the sale, but mentioning the book and giving a small excerpt (a paragraph) is okay since it can get others interested in buying the book for themselves. A direct copy/paste of someone else’s story is considered to be trolling the author. Changing the name(s) is not considered enough of a variation to deter punishment.

That being said, the idea of the story can be used by others if they include variations to make it their own. Even if someone else has some of the same elements that you do, it does not mean they have copied your story. If at any time you feel your story has been copied with intent to cause harm, then PM the story mod (DeputyRR) and a determination will be make. That ruling is final.

One final note about copyright: everything posted on this forum is the property of the owner of this forum. Since that is true, only the owner can make a valid claim for copyright infringement.


NOTE: Claiming a copyright is now considered to be trolling. Anyone who does this will be in violation of the site guidelines.