rick@uwmacc.UUCP (the absurdist) (11/03/87)
Background: Karen Williams, a rec.arts.comics reader, wrote to Harlan Ellison asking for permission to post a transcription of a tape of a speech he recently made. Harlan sent back a reply saying he'd like to see a copy of the transcript first, and that he wanted to take things one step at a time. So far, everything civil. Then Karen passed this information on to the net, and many people suggested ignoring Ellison's wishes in the matter, and just posting it right now. Rich Salz raises one issue as follows: In article <231@papaya.bbn.com> rsalz@bbn.com (Rich Salz) writes: >Under what legal grounds is it necessary to ask Harlan Ellison for his >permission before someone posts a transcription? I could see why someone >might want to be nice to a talented, litigous sonuvagon, but what could >be illegal about posting a copy of words said in a public forum? This isn't a flame at Rich, who is asking a valid question that is appropriate to his tasks as moderator of a newsgroup, and who DID NOT say that the correct answer was to post without permission. From a NON-legal standpoint, hasn't anyone ever heard of common courtesy? I am annoyed at the number of people who posted "post it anyway, he can't stop you". They are ignoring the legal issues (many performance arts involve public forums, but just try to tape a rock concert and distribute that without permission...deadheads excepted, of course). They are also ignoring an effort to be polite to someone who has no access to this net to find out what's being done with his work. The netiquette document doesn't currently address this, but probably should, from both the legal and the courtesy angles. Perhaps the results of Rich's survey will help. This has been moved to news.admin as somewhat more appropriate to my message -- followups should NOT go to rec.arts.comics. Send LEGAL issue comments to Rich (he's taking a mail poll/will summarize). -- Rick Keir -- all the oysters have moved away -- UWisc - Madison "Watch the skies...."