COPYRIGHT ON USENET Technically, you have a copyright to your story from the moment that you post it until you give up some or all of those rights. You do not need to put a notice on the work to receive a copyright in most countries including the USA. For all that, putting on a notice is useful for several reasons: First, most authors are willing to have some reposting of their works. Saying what reposting is acceptable saves a lot of effort. This is especially true when you might get a life, or even change mailing addresses; this could leave your story out there with no one knowing what you might allow people to do with it. Second, if you don't want it reposted, some people are not going to respect that unless you tell them so. (Some scumbags are not going to respect that even if you tell them so, but their ISPs are likelier to boot them if they delete an actual notice.) Third, if you are willing to have it reposted, respectable reposters aren't going to do so without your telling them so. Fourth, consideration of your fellow writers. We are starting to get to the point where stories are posted with a notice. That will make reposting stories with notices cut off more blatant. Fifth, if you ever take action against a thief in the USA, having posted a notice *might* increase the damages which you can collect. # # # # # # # # # Remember that permission given in the notice is hard to withdraw, and probably impossible to withdraw legally. In particular do not use the words "Public Domain" if you want to restrict any use any time in the future. If your work is in the public domain, I can insert Nazi propaganda or repost it under my own name. If you rewrite a story to improve the flow, or to change the name of a character because of changes in your life situation (You meet a girl named Nancy who shares your interest in erotica; unfortunately, your best story is one involving a "Nancy" as a villain) then having some degree of control of reposting allows you to require that the newest version is the only one which can reposted. On the other hand, you can always change your mind to *loosen* your restrictions. # # # # # # # # # The following notices are courtesy of John Dark. Probably using your name as opposed to "the author" is a good idea. I've seen some notices which apparently use a high-ASCII character for the c-in-a-circle symbol for copyright. It doesn't come across that way on all machines. I recommend using the word "copyright" *in addition* to any symbol. 1) This work is copyright (c) by the author. You may download and keep one copy for your personal use as long as the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the copy. Any posting on a website or to a newsgroup requires the previous permission of the author. 1a) This work is copyright (c) by the author. You may download and keep one copy for your personal use as long as the story remains unchanged and the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the copy. Any posting on a website or to a newsgroup requires the previous permission of the author. Any change, however slight, must have the specific consent of the author. 2) This work is copyright (c) by the author. You may download and keep copies for your personal use as long as the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the copies. Posting to newsgroups or on websites is permitted as long as no money is charged for access and as long as the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the story. 2a) This work is copyright (c) by the author. You may download and keep copies for your personal use as long as the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the copies. Posting an unaltered copy of this story to newsgroups or on websites is permitted as long as no money is charged for access and as long as the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the story. No alteration of the contents is permitted. 3) This work is copyright (c) by the author. Any use of this work is permitted as long as the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the story. 3a) This work is copyright (c) by the author. Any use of this unaltered work is permitted as long as the author's byline and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the story. Any alterations require the previous permission of the author. # # # # # # # # # Think through what you want. Some authors encourage reposting to other appropriate newsgroups and to bulletin boards, but don't want others reposting their stories to ASS and ASSM because they can do that themselves. Other authors allow reposting to ASS and ASSM, but don't want their stories posted elsewhere. Some authors will permit uploading to free websites so long as they are told the URL. As I write this, there are sites being organized which will *pay* authors for stories. Clearly, they will be less happy to pay for stories which they can legally use for free. # # # # # # # # # I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. If you are concerned with legal protection for your work, as opposed to helpful Usenet practice, then you should consult a lawyer knowledgeable about this area. Even if you provide notice satisfying the most stringent legal requirements and consistent with the pattern of Usenet courtesy, you should understand that there are plenty of rude criminals collecting stories on Usenet.