Confusion over rights

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Schoolmarm
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:57 am

Confusion over rights

Post by Schoolmarm »

In the chart for buyers indicating which rights they are buying at each level, "Exclusive" clearly and unequivocally allows the buyer to take the author's name off the piece, rework it to his/her hearts' content, and even take credit for having written it.

In the author's section it says that the author retains ownership of the "intellectual property" and that the articles cannot be resold by the buyer.

Who's stopping them? If they take our names off the work and claim that they have written the piece, who is overseeing whether or not that "intellectual property" is being resold by the buyers? Are we being protected in any way?

This question came up in another context on another site, and when I checked the CC guidelines and rules, I was disturbed to discover that fly in the ointment. Can you elucidate?

Inquiring authors need to know . . .
anarch
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 8:14 pm

Post by anarch »

I believe it's the full rights, which allows the purchaser to remove the author's name and take credit for the article, reprint it on multiple sites, reuse it, resell it, etc. That is why they pay the extra for that right. Some writer's don't mind doing the whole ghost writing thing but, if you note prices, that's why it's more expensive to purchase full rights.

That's my take on it anyhow :D
Article Admin
Posts: 724
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:49 pm

Post by Article Admin »

Definition of Rights

Useage - The client may use the article on his/her website but must leave the authors name on it. If the client wishes to use the article on more than one website, he/she must purchase useage rights for each website.

Exclusive - This means the client can purchase the article and use it on their website, but must leave the author's name on it. They cannot resell, or use it more than once.

Fullrights - The client may take the author's name off of the article. He/she owns the article and can do whatever he/she wishes with it, including adding their name as author and reselling.

Hope this helps.
libertate
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:15 am

Post by libertate »

Your classification continues to be a problem (since you changed it from the original).

As I have pointed it out already, once an article been sold any way shape or form, that article should not be able to sell it under "exclusive" or "full" rights.
mattsterrr
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 2:44 am

Post by mattsterrr »

I have to agree, because otherwise there is basically no distinction between exclusive and usage rights.

If you are allowing the resale of an article that has been sold for exclusive rights then what's the difference between that and usage? Both allow only the usage of one article on one site, and both require that the author's name be left in place. If they are both being resold, then I know that if I were a customer I'd want to know what extra I was getting for my money.

Does CC really re-sell articles that have already sold with exclusive rights though, because I'm fairly sure they don't do they?
anarch
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 8:14 pm

Post by anarch »

Once they've been sold for exclusive rights, they are taken off the site, I do believe. I've never had a problem with one of my exclusives being resold anyhow :)

Basically... if you have usage, you can put it on one website (or multiples, if you pay for it more than once)

If you have exclusive, you can only put it on a website once, but in buying it exclusively, you guarentee that no one else can ever put it on their website. It only appears on the web once, at your site, for as long as you choose to use it there.

If you have full rights, you can use it as many times as you want, on multiple sites, you can take the original author's name off of it, you can resell it, etc. You can do whatever you want with it (so long as you don't put it on your site AND try to resell it to someone else with exclusive or full rights).

I think that's the deal... at least, that is how I understand it :)
mattsterrr
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 2:44 am

Post by mattsterrr »

That's what I thought, but that post took my eye off the ball for a minute.

I too have sold quite a lot of usage rights several times for one article but never sold unique more than once.
libertate
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:15 am

Post by libertate »

I continue to hold my position that CC has articles which have been downloaded yet they are still up there for unique or full.

I have stated this last year, yet was patronized and placated.
http://constant-content.com/forum/viewt ... highlight=

It took me less then 30 seconds to find four examples.

http://www.constant-content.com/article ... bout-Love/
http://www.constant-content.com/article ... and-aging/
http://www.constant-content.com/article ... icut-Home/
http://www.constant-content.com/article ... Gittleman/
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Post by constant-content »

All those articles were purchased with "Usage" rights. We have three types of licenses on most articles (usage, unique, and full rights) the writer can choose which licenses he/she wants to sell those articles.

The explanation of these license are all over CC.... FAQ, customer terms (customers agree to when purchasing), author FAQ, you can even click the license when buying and it explains each license.

The article is only removed from CC with a "Unique" or "Full Rights" purchase.

This may help you with licenses:
http://www.constant-content.com/faqs/1/
constant-content
Site Admin
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Post by constant-content »

You can see how many copies have been sold before buying the "Unique" or "Full Rights" license. So if your a customer looking for unique content then you would not buy an article that has been sold before with a "Usage" license. We list how many times the article has been downloaded just for this reason.

I think you are missing the fact that we list how many times the article has been sold so the customer knows before it is bought.

There have been usage articles that have been downloaded 6 times here on CC. We have also have had customers purchase a unique license for an article that was already sold with a usage license. In this case the customer wants that article and doesn't want anyone ELSE to come along and buy it, they know it has already been sold one because its listed that way.
libertate
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:15 am

Post by libertate »

You are missing my point, nor am I retarded.

Customers not knowing does not mitigate the error in the licensing schema.

If someone downloaded an article under "usage", how is it possible to sell it to a second individual as "unique" or "full right"?! By its nature it cannot be "unique" or "full right" - someone already downloaded it! It is out on the web (or somewhere else) - ergo - it cannot be "unique", even less "full right"! ...
What is a Full Rights Purchase?

A Full Rights Purchase is when you buy outright the information desired. Then we will withdraw the option of someone coming down the line and purchasing it as well (it is removed from the Constant Content). You also own this content and you can change the content, resell the content, take credit for writing, etc. Please see the above chart for what you can and can't do with each licenses.
How is that possible? If you SOLD it to someone already - there is NO WAY to have "full rights" to it. You would have to retract the previously sold rights.
What is a Unique Purchase?
A Unique Purchase is when you buy outright the information desired. Then we will withdraw the option of someone coming down the line and purchasing it as well (it is removed from the Constant Content.
If I OWN something outright, do I have the right to have previously distributed copies removed? No? Then I do not own it outright.
unique = singular: the single one of its kind;alone(p);An item of which only one specimen is known to exist;being the only one of its kind;Only one example known
outright = without restrictions or stipulations or further payments;without reservation or concealment;without reservation or exception
constant wrote:All those articles were purchased with "Usage" rights. We have three types of licenses on most articles (usage, unique, and full rights) the writer can choose which licenses he/she wants to sell those articles.

The explanation of these license are all over CC.... FAQ, customer terms (customers agree to when purchasing), author FAQ, you can even click the license when buying and it explains each license.

The article is only removed from CC with a "Unique" or "Full Rights" purchase.

This may help you with licenses:
http://www.constant-content.com/faqs/1/
thomask
Posts: 23
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Location: http://www.rainbowcomputersystems.com
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Is there a point?

Post by thomask »

As with other discussions and problems that come up, sometimes there can be no real point.

You have a problem with the rights schema, which is fine, that is YOUR RIGHT to have a problem with it.

It is also my right to decide if I want to purchase exclusive or full rights to an article (with full knowledge its already been purchased or downloaded). I take exception to someone making a mountain out of a molehill about something that is a obviously a non-issue for many.

Its a shame there isnt a poll option on the forums.

Usage allows for the article to be posted on ONE website

Exclusive, if I am not mistaken, you can use it in as many ways, modified to include urls et al, or as many sites as you want.

Full gives you the right to call it your own.

The top 2 licenses give you free reign to MODIFY the works. This in fact is a bonus as most search engines frown on 'duplicate' content.

Tho I do have a question. If I have full rights, and the usage rights was free, can I request the other publisher(s) stop using, or modify the resource box? Do I have that right? (I know paid usage rights would be a little more difficult, and impractical, perhaps restricted to resource box being modified?)

Forgive me if I now sound like I am babbling, but re-reading the same problem in yet another thread that is a non issue (to many) does that to me..

Just agree to disagree.

Thomas

P.S. I take exception to, and take offense to that term, and I ALSO fail to see where anyone called you r****ded.

P.P.S Some time ago I found a site that allowed me to compare articles on my sites to articles on other sites, and I just can't seem to recall what it was... can anyone help with that?
constant-content
Site Admin
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Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Post by constant-content »

Well said thomask...

I understand what you are saying but this is how the site works, if you don’t like it you don’t have to use the site. Its pretty simple to see that if an article has been downloaded and you purchase a unique license, the article MAY be out there on ONE site. At that point you have to understand that another person has a USAGE license and can use it along with your UNIQUE license. Its possible the article was never used on a website, its also possible the article was never used at all.... This is why people still purchase these licenses when the article has already been sold with a usage license. Other reasons include the below:

• The customer wants the article to be removed so no one ELSE can purchase it.
• The customer wants to change the article to fit his/her site and make it unique.
• The customer wants to put it in a newsletter or magazine and does not care about duplicate content.
• The customer wants to add it to many websites.
• The customer wants to add his links to the article and submit it to many websites.

I’m sure there are many more but these are just off the top of my head.

Maybe we should explain this better in the FAQ’s is what I get out of this conversation, either way I think its time to close this thread since I’m not really sure what the point of your posts are.

Are you complaining about a license your purchased or is this just an observation with the site you have a problem with?
constant-content
Site Admin
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Re: Is there a point?

Post by constant-content »

thomask wrote:P.P.S Some time ago I found a site that allowed me to compare articles on my sites to articles on other sites, and I just can't seem to recall what it was... can anyone help with that?
The site is:
http://www.copyscape.com
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Re: Is there a point?

Post by constant-content »

thomask wrote:The top 2 licenses give you free reign to MODIFY the works. This in fact is a bonus as most search engines frown on 'duplicate' content.

Tho I do have a question. If I have full rights, and the usage rights was free, can I request the other publisher(s) stop using, or modify the resource box? Do I have that right? (I know paid usage rights would be a little more difficult, and impractical, perhaps restricted to resource box being modified?)
Only Full Rights allows you to modify the article, you can add links with Unique but can not change the article or take credit for writing it.

If you purchased a Full Rights license and another customer had purchased a Usage license, then you both own a license to that article you just have more options of things you can do with your article.

With this said, we don't allow writers to sell content that has been published else where, so a writer can not ask Full Rights or Unique rights for something that has already been published anywhere.
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