SANParks.org Forums

Please can someone clarify for me what the copyright rules on this forum are. I understand that SANParks owns all the information and articles posted here.
But, what exactly does "own" mean? Does it mean, for example, that, if I want to open a thread here, and then later use some of my posts in a book I want to publish, I'm not allowed to? Do I have to get permission from SANParks first to release the information?
Anything in this regard will be much appreciated.

Hi OWN,

Is your question prompted by this rule?


If I can clarify; the above rule applies to when members wishing to leave the forums (often disgruntled) start deleting information, pics etc in the posts they have posted here over the years. This has happened on the odd occasion and is against the rules.

What you post here is 'yours' in the sense that you own the copyright on your photos or poems etc, not SANParks.

Yes, DB ... it was that rule that got me thinking.

Thank you for clarifying the issue! So, as I understand, everything I create - i.e. comes from my own mind - is then mine; and is essentially copyrighted.
Which means, then, that anyone - be it a fellow forumite, or someone from outside - has to ask my permission before using my material? Is this last point also true then?

Yip, strictly speaking they should. If you find any of 'your' (as onewithnature) stuff repeated elsewhere without your permission being granted to do so, you have a right to ask the person to remove this, or take it further.

Some members have even felt affronted when their posts on these forums are quoted elsewhere on these forums without their permission. I personally do not fuss about this - but that is my personal opinion and feeling.

Not too long ago we had the incident of forumite's photographs being copied off these forums and used on another website to advertise the Parks. SANParks actually took this up with the 'offending' site in question. Read here.

Very interesting reading, your link, DB! Thanks.

What I found interesting too was the assertion that, once pictures and, especially, text have been in the public domain for a reasonable length of time, it becomes much harder to prove ownership of the material. It appears as if one should always put some kind of copyright logo and name on the material to reinforce ownership?

Sounds like it's really a trade-off between how much you're prepared to fight for your material versus how much the material is worth fighting for! Sounds like the laws are probably quite complicated relating to copyright law and intellectual property?

It's just that there is some of my material that I may want to use for later publications (if I get that far ), and I wanted to know that I could comfortably use it again! Which will then give me the freedom I'm looking for to be creative, entertaining, and informative on these forums without fear of loss of the material.

Looking very forward to the result of those creative juices OWN!

Good question OWN.

I saw something written elsewhere the other day which looked remarkably like something I had written on the forum, so I have been wondering the same thing.

A question that does come to mind though, is can a person copyright what they have written anywhere, including on a public forum, using an alias and without providing their full name, not even to the legal owner of the site they have posted on?

Probably not.

If you forward the links from where this was copied off this website and to where, we can ask SANParks for an opinion.

Thanks for this offer Dalene, but it wasnt exactly the same and I took it as an actual compliment that someone might be trying to kidnap one of my Pond Watch characters!

I think the difference between OWN's writing and mine is that his is fact, its something that happened to him...whereas as mine is fiction and written in such a way that it would be difficult for anyone to connect the stories (let alone understand them) and produce a book from the material.

I keep written stuff on the PC...Date is entered on that file. In Canada anything you write, music, blogs etc. are copyrighted automatically as well as pictures paintings and the like art wise, meaning they are your intellectual property. there is a cost to having stories novels etc. registered with the National Library, but here's the rub...If someone plagiarizes your work(s)...first you have to catch em...then prosecute, at your cost BTW

Interesting Thanks Lockie.

Wonder how much the law differs between countries?? I guess there must be a solid foundation as all copyrights have similar attributes.

I could be very wrong with this..and if so, Mods please correct...as I think Sanparks reserves the copyright on Photos (for an example) taken in the park. You must get their permission, only if the photos are to be used commercially, IE..for publication, and therefore to make Money
Now If you were to publish your ...say trip report... in a book fashion, for personal use and not for sale...I would think that's OK.
and I don't blame Sanparks..if this is the case..they should get a slice of the pie, as it is a national park, and may not have been accessible otherwise, without their financial input in the first place.
Just my thoughts

From waht I've read on this, and other links, it seems that copyright may reside with the photographer, regardless of where it was taken (except in the president's, or Judge Judy's, personal chambers, maybe? ). Would love to have clarification from the mods regarding this.

...MODS and Admin are gonna be mad at us!!!
Now they gotta contact the legal department