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Learning about Copyright Law

john — Fri, 13 May 2005 16:21:16 -0400

Blogging is a powerful tool, and with that power comes responsibility. One of the most important considerations with respect to responsible blogging is the issue of copyright law. All bloggers should have a basic understanding of copyright law as it applies to publishing on the web, and how that law both guides the style and content which you can publish on a weblog but also protects your content from unauthorized use.

This page will provide some references on the topic of copyright law as it relates to blogging; we hope all BlogHarbor bloggers will take the time to review these articles to gain a deeper understanding of copyright law.

Copyright basics
A great place to start learning about copyright is at A brief intro to copyright by Brad Templeton. In this article, Brad defines copyright law and notes some introductory concepts as to what copyright law allows, what it prohibits, and what it protects.

Another article we recommend is 4 Basic Questions About Copyright and Weblogs, which answers these questions:

What Is Copyright?
Does copyright laws hold on the web and are they applicable to bloggers?
What is copyright infringement?
What types of copyright infringements do you often see bloggers commit?

Learning more about copyright
Another article from About Weblogs called 14 Copyright Tips For Bloggers provides tips for bloggers who wish to avoid copyright infringement problems, as well as tips for those whose copyrights are being infringed upon. A few of the tips they provide to bloggers looking to avoid copyright problems are:

Never copy the whole of anyone else's material
Don't just copy someone else's stuff
Try to be proportionate
Acknowledge your sources if you do copy, and link to them

One of the most famous articles about copyright myths is 10 Big Myths about copyright explained, again by Brad Templeton. This article was originally penned in 1994 and was most recently revised in October 2004. Brad notes the 10 big myths are:

If it doesn't have a copyright notice, it's not copyrighted.
If I don't charge for it, it's not a violation.
If it's posted to Usenet it's in the public domain.
My posting was just fair use!
If you don't defend your copyright you lose it.
If I make up my own stories, but base them on another work, my new work belongs to me.
They can't get me, defendants in court have powerful rights!
Oh, so copyright violation isn't a crime or anything?
It doesn't hurt anybody -- in fact it's free advertising.
They e-mailed me a copy, so I can post it.

There's even an 11th myth, but we won't spoil that for you. Be sure to read Brad's 10 Big Myths about copyright article reviewing these myths and provides insight into what's really true about copyright law.

Summary
Understanding copyright law is a necessity for all bloggers and the articles we link to in this document will provide you with the detailed information you need to know about copyright. Respecting copyright guarantees that your blog does not infringe on the rights of others, and knowing the law can help ensure that your rights are protected.

About Weblogs' Top 10 Weblog Ethics and Etiquette Tips

john — Fri, 13 May 2005 15:03:21 -0400

Sheila Coggins of the About Weblogs site posted a great article today, her Top 10 Weblog Ethics and Etiquette Tips. She gives these top 10 tips:

Follow Hotlinking Guidelines
Credit Your Sources
Check The Validity of Your Information
Correct Your Mistakes and Post Updates
Never Leave Spam Comments
Post Disclosures, When Necessary
Write in Proper Format
Respect Copyright at All Times
Identify Yourself Properly
Leave a Way For Your Readers To Contact You

Please visit her site to read more about blogging responsibly, courteously, and ethically.

A Guide to Using RSS

john — Fri, 06 May 2005 00:38:09 -0400

Walter S. Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal has published an excellent guide to using RSS for anyone who hasn't adopted this useful technology. Here's an excerpt:

...power users have been employing a system called RSS that allows them to quickly scan large numbers of newsy, frequently updated Web sites. RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a kind of computer code that Web site owners can add to their sites to make them easier to scan quickly. When interpreted by special RSS-savvy software programs called "news readers" or "news aggregators," the RSS code allows these programs to display only the headlines and short summaries of these news sites' latest articles. This is called an "RSS feed." Users can "subscribe" to various feeds and quickly scan the headlines and summaries. Then, if they so choose, they can click on a link to read the entire article..

Interested in learning more about what RSS can do for you? Read the full article here

Five tips for making money with your blog

john — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:15:05 -0400

An article at the Microsoft Small Business Center discusses How to make money from your blog:

Sell advertising
Help sell others' products
Solicit contributions
Market your services in your blog
Use a blog to deepen your existing customer relationships

While making money with your blog not be the proper focus for all bloggers, if that's your aim then read the full article here.

CNet: Blogging on the job

john — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 11:26:17 -0500

CNET has published an excellent FAQ called Blogging on the Job: In an effort to separate fact from fiction, CNET News.com offers this list of frequently asked questions about blogging at work and at home.

The document covers the following topics which should be of interest to many bloggers:

Can blogging hurt my career?
How risky is blogging really?
Blogging is a pretty new activity. Is my company likely to have guidelines and policies about it yet?
Can my employer fire me if I blog from home on my own time?
Wait--does that mean that where I live matters?
That sounds pretty broad. Are there any limitations on an employer's ability to fire me?
What about the First Amendment? Doesn't that protect me?
Are there any court decisions involving bloggers being fired?
What if I'm a union employee? Do I have more protection?
How about if I'm a government employee, for example, in the federal civil service?
Can high school students be disciplined for the contents of their blogs published from a home computer?
Can I blog anonymously?
Do all companies consider blogging an activity unrelated to work?
Does that mean blogging could boost my career?
Has blogging helped anyone land a job?
Are there some examples of high-profile workplace bloggers?
Are there any blogs about workplace blogging?

Read the full article here.

Introduction to Weblogs

john — Sat, 05 Feb 2005 11:14:52 -0500

A quick introduction to weblogs, their history, and what they can be used for; A description of the BlogHarbor service, and what it can do for you; A set of links to online articles, books, and even clothing about weblogs...

Weblogs and Weblogging Resources

john — Sat, 05 Feb 2005 11:06:24 -0500

Learn more about weblogs from books, web resources, and even clothing...

What are Weblogs?

john — Sat, 05 Feb 2005 02:40:14 -0500

The simplest definition of "weblog" is "a regularly-updated web site featuring articles arranged in reverse chronological order -- that is to say, the most recently-added article appearing first, followed by the second-most-recent one, and so on."

10 Steps to Building a Better Blog

john — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 10:51:25 -0500

Via Micro Persuasion: Brian Bailey notes 10 Steps to Building a Better Blog:

Use Categories
Use Titles
Publish During High Traffic Times
Syndicate Your Entire Post
Click Your Own Links
Develop an Authentic Voice
Tell Us Who You Are and How to Contact You
Don't Be Afraid to Promote
Comment on Other Sites and Your Own
The More You Write, the More You'll Have to Write Write About

Your BlogHarbor weblog will help you with numbers 1, 2, and 4; Brian's got great suggestions for improving your blog so be sure to read the article.

Report: The state of blogging

john — Mon, 03 Jan 2005 22:49:21 -0500

Pew Internet & American Life Project released a report called The state of blogging, where they note the following:

By the end of 2004 blogs had established themselves as a key part of online culture. Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November established new contours for the blogosphere: 8 million American adults say they have created blogs; blog readership jumped 58% in 2004 and now stands at 27% of internet users; 5% of internet users say they use RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online; and 12% of internet users have posted comments or other material on blogs. Still, 62% of internet users do not know what a blog is.

Click here for their report, downloadable in PDF form.