possible copyright infringement against postgresql writers, bloggers, and advocates

From: Robert Bernier <robert(dot)bernier5(at)sympatico(dot)ca>
To: pgsql-advocacy(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: possible copyright infringement against postgresql writers, bloggers, and advocates
Date: 2007-01-20 19:44:01
Message-ID: 200701201444.01691.robert.bernier5@sympatico.ca
Views: Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-advocacy

Guys,

What started out as a bit of diversion has ballooned into a hunt for what could be construed as copyright infringement.

This site, www.sswug.org, declares that it is "The Largest Independent SQL Server Help Resource On The Net". At first blush it appears to have datamined articles and documentation that includes, among others, the PostgreSQL and FreeBSD communities and many, many articles from Oreilly's own website. It seems that the only way you can access those articles is purchasing a subscription access using your credit card.

Here's the response from the person who controls the site after recieving a request to remove the material:

> Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 11:20:01 -0700
> From: Stephen Wynkoop <swynk(at)sswug(dot)org>
> To: 'Dru' <dlavigne6(at)sympatico(dot)ca>
> Cc: tribich(at)ittoolbox(dot)com
> Subject: RE: please remove copyrighted material
>
> Hello!
>
> Thanks for writing - we're not hosting the content on SSWUG at all.  Just a
> short summary and then pointing them to your site, promoting your article.
> It's a service we provide for members on the site - making sure they know
> about great content and then sending them to the right sites.  We also
> indicate that it's external content on the summary, and outline this in our
> terms of service on the site.
>
> Hope this helps explain.  I am an author as well, I would never republish
> content. :)
>
> Let me know if you'd like an account activated so you can see how it works
> - but rest-assured, it's not hosted on our site, just pointed to on your
> site. For example, these two articles send people to:

I found this link that says he pays for contributions from authors:
http://www.sswug.org/columnists/editorial.asp?wdb=09/27/2006&id=38

So what's going on? Personally, I don't mind if somebody posts a reference to an article but charging money while the author doesn't see a penny of it?

FYI: I used the google option "site:www.sswug.org ...." to see who from the postgres community is referenced:

Josh Berkus: 240 hits
Andrew Dunstan: 183 hits
Drake: 5 hits
Dan Langille: 1 hit
Bruce Momjian: 31 hits
Elein Mustain: 2 hits

OTHER HITS:
postgresql: 1100 hits
Dru Lavigne (freebsd): 133 hits

Responses

Browse pgsql-advocacy by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Bruce Momjian 2007-01-20 20:03:25 Re: possible copyright infringement against
Previous Message Robert Bernier 2007-01-20 16:22:56 Linuxworld Toronto, April 30 - May 2