asshat alert: reposting private E-mail is rude and uncouth

[drewkitty]

With respect to this courtesy of evilgrins:

It is well understood both on the Internet and as a matter of copyright law that reposting private E-mails is of dubious legality (if as a practical matter unenforceable) and certainly uncool. See links below. Note that Brad is a Baycon attendee and a subject matter expert.

Like our host, you clearly Don't Get that just because you are capable of an action, does not mean that you should Just Do It without regard to the rights or feelings of others.

The consequence is that people should not E-mail either of you in the expectation of any privacy at all, or even common courtesy.

Noted.

http://www.businessemailetiquette.com/copyright-refresher/

“E-mail is not copyright protected once it is sent.”
E-mail is a written work that once created is copyright protected by the author. This means you cannot post publicly an e-mail sent to you privately. You cannot post private e-mails to your site, to message boards or to your blog without the author’s specific permission to do so.
Just because an e-mail was sent to you as a private communication does not mean you then own it and can do with it what you like. In addition, e-mail that is posted to a group of people, on a mailing list or Newsgroup does not make the e-mail available for reposting, copying, or any other use – not without the express and written consent of the author.

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

10) "They e-mailed me a copy, so I can post it."

To have a copy is not to have the copyright. All the E-mail you write is copyrighted. However, E-mail is not, unless previously agreed, secret. So you can certainly report on what E-mail you are sent, and reveal what it says. You can even quote parts of it to demonstrate. Frankly, somebody who sues over an ordinary message would almost surely get no damages, because the message has no commercial value, but if you want to stay strictly in the law, you should ask first. On the other hand, don't go nuts if somebody posts E-mail you sent them. If it was an ordinary non-secret personal letter of minimal commercial value with no copyright notice (like 99.9% of all E-mail), you probably won't get any damages if you sue them.

Note as well that, the law aside, keeping private correspondence private is a courtesy one should usually honour.

Comments

[christophine.livejournal.com]

Also an interesting definition of what constitutes a violation of boundaries in that comment thread. And by interesting, I mean moronic.

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Yes. "If it's not nailed down, it's mine. If I can pry it loose, it's not nailed down."

How the hell have you been doing? Are you on facebook?

[christophine.livejournal.com]

I'm doing pretty well. Getting ready to start school on Monday. Impatient for March to arrive, when I'll see Yar for a week in Michigan. Discussing with him if we're gonna still do BayCon in light of recent events and ASI's ongoing issues. If not, he'll still be coming out and we'll be in the Bay Area, just not sure now whether we're bothering with the con.

Also yes, I am on Facebook. Yar talked me into joining. I pretty much never do anything with it other than log in periodically to confirm that yes, someone or other is a friend.

[christophine.livejournal.com]

And since I clicked post when I meant preview:

How are you doing? Gonna be heading through the general area at any time in the near-ish future? I'd love to be able to hang out again!

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Ironically I am closer to you than usual (along the 99) but still a few hours' drive. If you happen to be running north before Saturday afternoon, let me know.

I am planning other trips down the Valley sooner or later, at least one before next summer, but no details as yet.

[christophine.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I'm not likely to get the chance to head much of anywhere anytime soon. Getting out of here is always a big production so that my mother and grandmother are taken care of while I'm gone.

[bluewingedcat.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to comment one way or the other about whether it was a good idea, bad idea, or martian idea.

I will say that, if you put it on the internet, in whatever form (email, pictures, etc.,) you have to be prepared for it to be made public, used, and abused. It doesn't matter if you've copyrighted the work, if it's a private email, or what.

There are certain restrictions on what you can post. Generally, real life information and contact information (including the email address) can get you banned from sites and in other trouble. If you can prove a copyright, you can generally get help, but just proving the copyright can be enormously difficult.

Everything else is, sadly, fair game.

/Been there, done that, wish I didn't have that ugly t-shirt taking up room in my drawer.

[sailorv61.livejournal.com]

so are you telling me i could sue him?

hmmm...... i still have two years of medical school that need to be payed for somehow. *giggles*

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

No, and no. :)