RE: Blogs

From: Welch, John L. <JWelch[_at_]foleyhoag.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 15:35:00 -0500

I would certainly think so.  

I have a blog on TTAB law (www.thettablog.blogspot.com), and in view of a recent incident I have begun putting a copyright notice on each posting.  

I sent an e-mail recently to the Copyright Office asking how I might register my blog postings (which posting occur once per weekday, more of less). The response:  

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Please be advised that the Copyright Office does not take a stance whether placing material on the World Wide Web constitutes "publication" under the current law.

As long as all your material is unpublished, you may register an unlimited number of your material together as a collection with one form and one $30 fee, if they are all by the same person or same people. The registration of an unpublished collection of material extends the benefits of registration to each copyrightable selection in the collection, but only the collection title appears in the Copyright

Office catalogs and indexes.

If you determine your blog posting are "published" you may register your material as a group of newsletters by following the procedures outlined in Circular 62a: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ62a.html <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ62a.html>

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So the copyright office raised no issue regarding copyright coverage, but rather questioned whether they had been published. Of course, one could register them as unpublished works, but I find it strange to think they have not been published.  

John L. Welch
Foley Hoag LLP
World Trade Center West
155 Seaport Boulevard
Boston, MA 02210-2600

Tel: 617/832-1258
Fax: 617/832-7000

	-----Original Message-----
	From: CNI-COPYRIGHT -- Copyright & Intellectual Property
[mailto:CNI-COPYRIGHT[_at_]cni.org] On Behalf Of Laliberte, Matthew Dana
	Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 2:10 PM
	To: CNI-COPYRIGHT -- Copyright & Intellectual Property
	Subject: [CNI-(C)] Blogs
	
	

	Good morning all!

	 

	Strictly speaking, do statements/ideas posted to a personal blog

fall under copyright protection?          

        Thanks!          

        Matthew D. Laliberte

        Instructional Technologist

        Academic Technology Center

        Worcester Polytechnic Institute

        100 Institute Road

        Worcester, MA 10609          

        Phone: 508.831.6422

        FAX: 508.831.5881          

Received on Fri Feb 11 2005 - 01:35:00 GMT