Publication and Copyright Ownership

Few university faculty realize when they submit a paper for publication they are giving away their right to their Copyright.

Faculty members will submit research papers to the repository often unaware that they have signed away the rights to their work to a journal publisher, Ms. Davis said. “They are stunned that they have not retained the copyrights,” she said. “They’re vehemently adamant” that they still have rights to the work.

In our experience, few authors value their Copyright, and even fewer publishers respect an author's claim to want to own the Copyright from page one publication of their work.

As the original creator of the work, the Author, by default, owns the Copyright in full and cannot lose Copyright unless and until that right is explicitly released verbally, or by agreeing to a publication policy, or by acquiescing that right in writing.

Beware of what you say and what you sign!

Does Copyright Matter?

With the advent of online publication, does Copyright matter any longer?

With RSS feeds spewing new content into the world directly every day can a person claim Copyright to their original material if they are unable to enforce their right and prosecute infringement?

If you give your work away for free, can you still own it if others take your work, revitalize it, repackage it, and use it to create profit?

How can we begin to protect our Copyrighted work if there are no longer firewalls and safety implements to shield the work from thieves?