Our comments, in MN books, who owns our collective wisdom?

[Wotzy]

Who owns our comments?

We can request them to be removed from this forum, but not in print. In posting we give consent for them to be on MN on the web, but does that extend to publication in a book.

I am not looking for a fight, it is a serious question, who owns the copyright to our words, if they are in publication? Was there consent to have our collective words printed in a book?

I was quoted in the first MN book, didn't realise until I picked up a copy. At the time many posters used their real names, so my name was all over the thing. I felt really exposed - it is very different talking on a forum and seeing your words preserved on a page for all eternity.

I think out of courtesy you should let people know if you plan to use their posts. I realise this would be a logisitcal nightmare, but still, you should do it.

Intellectual property (IP) are legal property rights. Might be Internet Person

roffle at icepops

Sooo, do I have to read all the books to see if I am in it?
[hippi realises she is getting needy]

You see without knowing stinkymonkey' experience, you just know that it will be different for different mn'ers and should take that as a consideration. The copyright should be more transparent in the joining, which is my point.

I would be mortified if I gave a bereavement post for instance, to find it used later in a book. Even without my name or a daft user name next to it. I'd know it was 'out there' for all eternity as Stinkymonkey says. If you can't see that, then there is no point trying to explain it further.

Whilst I obviously wish this adventure every success, I thought that the last experience with books seemed to be on the lines that it drummed up some new members and covered the publishing costs, but it wasn't a huge money-spinner. Now obviously they have MP on board, and frankly, even if her writing style didn't appeal, the irony of MP's efforts beating SWMNBN in the list of bestsellers could itself persuade me to part company with cash, so it might be different. But I think the idea that Justine is funding her Florida villa and 6 kids at prviate school by selling us out is a bit far from reality.

So the MN guides are like the Grumpy Old Women books then? I can see there is a correlation.

Not to worry, onebatm, I have used your real name only rather than your posting name.

lol at Habb's covering all the bases.

And the Mumsnet Guide to late-medieval English medicine...

LOLOL!

My FULL name? The Lady Professor Euphemia Tracy Gash?

I have to tell you that even in real life Onebat uses the word cunt with a certain aplomb.

Yes indeed. Are you happy to pose for the instructional photographs?

Gawd, gash is a horrible word.

puleeeese expat's recent guide was quite enuff

Are the instructional photographs are the ones where you were wearing the beard?

Or indeed "The Mumsnet dos, dont's and doodas of Bumsex"