Hey Gang, Need a Little Input ....

[jaF0]

Chime in if you will:


https://forum.literotica.com/threads/literotica-public-private-api.1609307/#post-98781198



...

 

[Lifestyle66]

The whole business of someone potentially downloading my shitty stories is what I consider like "drunk text".

"Be careful what you post in an e-mail or text."

Anything I post to an Internet blog, forum, or even a story to publish is out there electronically for the whole world to see, and subject to be used and abused by others. If I wanted to better protect my own stories, I'd spend more time and effort properly copyrighting them, and possibly just publish them in paper copies. But I'm taking the easy way out and just throw it on LitE to take my chances.

I get what I paid for.

 

[StillStunned]

Anyone may download whatever I publish here. What I object to is other websites posting my stories without asking.

 

[nice90sguy]

well this site is a great source of data for training LLMs, so I'm pretty sure a lot of people are doing that.

 

[lustychimera]

I'd spend more time and effort properly copyrighting them

What do you mean by properly copyrighting them? Like that "all rights reserved" thing? Or actuality registering it with the patent and trademark office?

I was under the impression that copyright protections don't require any actions other than writing the story.

 

[AchtungNight]

Anyone may download whatever I publish here. What I object to is other websites posting my stories without asking.

Same here. And monetizing my stories without taking with me about it is worse. I’ve already taken steps to get one person kicked off Amazon over doing it. I will continue as long as I’m able to put up a fight.

 

[OverconfidentSarcasm]

What do you mean by properly copyrighting them? Like that "all rights reserved" thing? Or actuality registering it with the patent and trademark office?

I was under the impression that copyright protections don't require any actions other than writing the story.

That is correct. The moment you write it, you have the copyright.

The problem arises once you find yourself in a position where you actually need to enforce that copyright. If your stories are only on Literotica, you'd then have to jump through multiple hoops, requiring not only the assistance of other parties but also goodwill and acceptance from officials to prove that you actually are the person behind the pseudonym "lustychimera".

However, if you register a proper copyright... all you'll have to do in case someone steals your story is to point at that one document and you're golden.

 

[lustychimera]

That is correct. The moment you write it, you have the copyright.

The problem arises once you find yourself in a position where you actually need to enforce that copyright. If your stories are only on Literotica, you'd then have to jump through multiple hoops, requiring not only the assistance of other parties but also goodwill and acceptance from officials to prove that you actually are the person behind the pseudonym "lustychimera".

Yeah, that i understand. Register it to be proactive. Though, i think that's where gdocs has a big advantage (as well as other programs that save to a cloud). There's no way for me to tamper with the dates. As well as the fact that gdocs has a nice history feature that lets you return to different points in editing. Thanks for the clarity, though!

 

[Lifestyle66]

Yeah, that i understand. Register it to be proactive. Though, i think that's where gdocs has a big advantage (as well as other programs that save to a cloud). There's no way for me to tamper with the dates. As well as the fact that gdocs has a nice history feature that lets you return to different points in editing. Thanks for the clarity, though!

That's what I mean by going that extra step to copyright it.

In court, you have to show that you were the original and FIRST to author that story. That's best done with the story being date stamped and registered with an authority the court recognizes as indisputable evidence.

If you try bringing in computer screenshots of dated material even with your real name, what does the judge think when someone else bring in a copy with their name and date stamped as registered with a county courthouse?

It's entirely up to that judge to decide. And they might like courthouse records.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

That is correct. The moment you write it, you have the copyright.

The problem arises once you find yourself in a position where you actually need to enforce that copyright. If your stories are only on Literotica, you'd then have to jump through multiple hoops, requiring not only the assistance of other parties but also goodwill and acceptance from officials to prove that you actually are the person behind the pseudonym "lustychimera".

However, if you register a proper copyright... all you'll have to do in case someone steals your story is to point at that one document and you're golden.

There is also a "poor man's copyright." All you would need to do is print off a copy of the story and mail it to yourself. Just don't open the envelope. The Library of Congress thing is a pain in the butt.

EDIT: Do this before you publish it anywhere. just to be clear...

 

[SimonDoom]

That's what I mean by going that extra step to copyright it.

In court, you have to show that you were the original and FIRST to author that story. That's best done with the story being date stamped and registered with an authority the court recognizes as indisputable evidence.

If you try bringing in computer screenshots of dated material even with your real name, what does the judge think when someone else bring in a copy with their name and date stamped as registered with a county courthouse?

It's entirely up to that judge to decide. And they might like courthouse records.

It goes beyond that. Registration of copyright is a requirement for filing a lawsuit. It's not just a superior form of evidence. If you file a lawsuit without first registering the copyright, the lawsuit will be dismissed.

 

[jaF0]

The other thread gang. Post there. OP wants to know if Lit has an issue with mass downloading of stories for supposedly personal use only.

 

[Lifestyle66]

It goes beyond that. Registration of copyright is a requirement for filing a lawsuit. It's not just a superior form of evidence. If you file a lawsuit without first registering the copyright, the lawsuit will be dismissed.

Only if a judge chooses to dismiss the lawsuit.

I know one local case when the judge in the rural court allowed a plaintiff to drag his case through an hour of the court's time before he dismissed it. It cost the defendant hours of legal fees. And that hour in the courtroom was an obvious waste within the first five minutes!

But it was the last case on the docket before lunch, and the judge was bored.

 

[KeithD]

That is correct. The moment you write it, you have the copyright.

The problem arises once you find yourself in a position where you actually need to enforce that copyright. If your stories are only on Literotica, you'd then have to jump through multiple hoops, requiring not only the assistance of other parties but also goodwill and acceptance from officials to prove that you actually are the person behind the pseudonym "lustychimera".

However, if you register a proper copyright... all you'll have to do in case someone steals your story is to point at that one document and you're golden.

In the United States, it's a bit more pointed than that. You can't go to court--ergo initiate legal action--without holding a formal copyright, applied and paid for to the U.S. Copyright Office. Any copyright leverage short of this in the United States rests on bluff.

 

[KeithD]

The other thread gang. Post there. OP wants to know if Lit has an issue with mass downloading of stories for supposedly personal use only.

No, there's no indication that Literotica has a care they are going to expend anything more than "thoughts and prayers" to on whether or not stories are downloaded from here for any purpose. Their cut is nonexclusionary use--permission to post it to the website. Anything beyond that is the responsibility of the author.

 

[SimonDoom]

In the United States, it's a bit more pointed than that. You can't go to court--ergo initiate legal action--without holding a formal copyright, applied and paid for to the U.S. Copyright Office. Any copyright leverage short of this in the United States rests on bluff.

This is true legally, but it doesn't mean that you can't try to enforce your rights out of court and get results. I've tried and done that when somebody outright stole one of my Literotica stories and published it elsewhere. I contacted them and read them the riot act, and they took it down. If they'd pushed back, I would have been shit out of luck legally unless I filed the copyright registration, which I wasn't going to do. But they didn't know that, and I could potentially have made things unpleasant for them by taking further steps to out them and contact the owner of the platform on which the stolen story was published.

 

[KeithD]

There is also a "poor man's copyright." All you would need to do is print off a copy of the story and mail it to yourself. Just don't open the envelope. The Library of Congress thing is a pain in the butt.

EDIT: Do this before you publish it anywhere. just to be clear...

The poor man's copyright has gotten the shaft in U.S. law as meaning anything other than where the packaging has been. It's worthless in the United States.

 

[KeithD]

This is true legally, but it doesn't mean that you can't try to enforce your rights out of court and get results.

What part of "bluff" didn't you understand?

We go through this every month here.

 

[SimonDoom]

No, there's no indication that Literotica has a care they are going to expend anything more than "thoughts and prayers" to on whether or not stories are downloaded from here for any purpose. Their cut is nonexclusionary use--permission to post it to the website. Anything beyond that is the responsibility of the author.

Yes, I think both legally and practically, you're right about this. The only case I can imagine where Literotica might actually do something would be if an active member of the site repeatedly violated the copyrights of other authors. If somebody were able to prove it to them they might remove the infringing member's membership privileges, but I doubt they would do anything else. They're not going to take any legal action to protect your rights.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

From the US Copyright Office official website:


When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”

Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within five years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.

I’ve heard about a “poor man’s copyright.” What is it?
The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a “poor man’s copyright.” There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration.

 

[SimonDoom]

What part of "bluff" didn't you understand?

We go through this every month here.

I understood it perfectly, but my post isn't just addressed to you. I want to let people know that even if it's a bluff, bluffing sometimes works. It's worked for me.

 

[KeithD]

From the US Copyright Office official website:


When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”

Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within five years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.

I’ve heard about a “poor man’s copyright.” What is it?
The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a “poor man’s copyright.” There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration.

Yep, as I posted.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Yep, as I posted.

But as has also been posted, you are not the only one posting in this conversation.

 

[jaF0]

Chill gang. No need to run with scissors.

 

[alohadave]

There is also a "poor man's copyright." All you would need to do is print off a copy of the story and mail it to yourself. Just don't open the envelope. The Library of Congress thing is a pain in the butt.

EDIT: Do this before you publish it anywhere. just to be clear...

That's an urban legend. There's no way to prove that you didn't mail yourself an empty envelope and insert it later.