Moderator

[Socspace@xxxxxxx]

Dear Sir or Madam:

Was the appended post deemed inapproriate, or has some error
occurred?

I thank you in advance for your response -- whatever it may be.

Harley Upchurch

_________________________________

Esteemed all:

Should the following request for help be an inappropriate use of the
Digital-Copyright mailing list, I most sincerely apologize.  Howevever,
that I'm submitting it at all is a measure of my frustration/desperation.
Without getting very far into the whys and wherefores, here is the
relevant history.

Somewhere on the web I came across a source which declared
that subscribers to a newslist/discussion group automatically
acquire a copyright to the messages they post.  Thus, for SOMEONE
ELSE to crosspost one of MY messages to another newslist, without
my permission, would not only be contrary to netiquette, but a
violation of my copyright  -- technically speaking.  However, the
practice has become so common, that trying to kick up a legal fuss
about it would ORDINARILY be rather silly.
.
However, 1) were the crossposting PURPORTED to be an accurate
representation of my original message,  but 2) in ACTUALITY a
(demonstrably deliberate) distortion thereof, and 3) designed to expose
me to ridicule 3) I might indeed have cause for legal action.

I know I must have saved the source somewhere, but (disgracefully)
can not find it.  Nor have I been able to rediscover it on the web.

BTW, reason suggests (or at least, so it seems to me) that the
violation at issue would increase in severity could it to be shown that
'twas but one element in a larger pattern of of harassment and
defamation, for which legal action was already being contemplated.
And, guess what? Such happens to be the case. Surprise, surprise :-)

Thus, I would be very, very grateful were one of you able to refer me to
an authoratative source which makes the points discussed in my
second and third paragraphs above.

Simply your opinion on the subject would also be quite welcome.
But -- should you proffer one -- please say whether or not I could
feel free to quote it WITH ATTRIBUTION.

Thanking any respondents in advance, I am

Harley Upchurch (who is clearly a "newbie" on this list