Good Stories Getting Passed Around and Intellectual Property Rights

My last post, "The Christmas Letter," showed how a well-written piece can be copied and spread across the Internet.

Often without the permission, or name, of the author.

My guess, in the case of "Fun_People Archive - 9 Dec [1998] / Christmas is coming.......Erma Bombeck / Martha Stewart" and "Dear Darling Son (and That Person You Married)" from Collage 322, H u m o u r N e t, 25 Dec 1996), the originals were written by people on a bulletin board. In each case, the board's TOS (Terms of Service) probably spelled out that anything submitted to the board became either the intellectual property of the board's owner, or public domain.

At least, I hope that was the scenario.

I understand that there are people who don't expect to be rewarded for their efforts, literary or otherwise. Benjamin Franklin, for example, helped establish the American Patent Office. But, despite inventing bifocals, the Franklin stove, and a number of other items, Mr. Franklin never took out a patent.

On the other hand, many writers want to be paid for their efforts. Or at least get the courtesy of having their names listed as author.

With echoes of the sixties still echoing in today's culture, the idea of exchanging money for work seems crass and bourgeois to many people. I'm not one of those people. I've done work for free, and still do: but that's the exception, not the rule.

When I wrote advertising copy, I didn't expect public recognition as the author of those fliers and order forms. There aren't bylines in advertising. But I did expect to get paid. And, for ten years I supported my family by exchanging my writing skills for a fairly regular paycheck: an arrangement I was satisfied with.

This may seem old-fashioned, but I believe that it's a good idea to reward people for creating things that other people enjoy. Art for art's sake, and a refined disdain for crass material gain is all well and good: But being paid, so you can put potatoes on the table for another week, is also a worthwhile goal.

Related posts, on Intellectual Property Rights