WordPress Copyright Issues

  • agrondahl

    (@agrondahl)


    16 years ago

    Right now I have a WordPress.com blog.

    I recently heard a rumor. It was this:

    “I should use a WordPress.org site for my blog instead, because on a WordPress.com site, WordPress.com ends up owning/holding the copyright to everything I put/post on the blog.”

    Is this true?

    I use the blog to write about a non-profit program I run. Some of the posts are my own musings (to which, I assume, I hold the copyright; the right to reprint/republish in future) and other works by my members (to which, I assume, they hold the copyright; the right to reprint/republish in future).

    In terms of copyright (who actually owns what I post/write on the blog) what is the difference between .COM and .ORG?

    Thank you so much for your help!

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • esmi

    (@esmi)

    16 years ago

    No – that’s not correct. You retain the copyright but grant Automattic (wordpress.com) a license to use that content.

    By submitting Content to Automattic for inclusion on your Website, you grant Automattic a world-wide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, modify, adapt and publish the Content solely for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting your blog. If you delete Content, Automattic will use reasonable efforts to remove it from the Website, but you acknowledge that caching or references to the Content may not be made immediately unavailable.

    http://en.wordpress.com/tos/

    Snat

    (@snat)

    16 years ago

    WordPress.com do not hold any copyright over your work to what I recall.

    Besides, why would they do that when they seem to want to promote freedom of speech by offering the free services. If you are that worried, get a lawyer to look over the terms of services for WordPress.com.

    All I know, is they have the right to backup your work but not to own the copyright. Basically, see it as you are giving them a right to backup your own work and that’s it.

    Thread Starter agrondahl

    (@agrondahl)

    16 years ago

    Thanks Esme and Snat. I think I understand, Esme, that Automattic can and will use it (my blog content), but for the purposes of promoting my blog and WordPress in general. Is that right? (Also, in the near future, I plan to take all my blog content, put it into a book, print it, sell it, and promote it. I just want to make sure there isn’t going to be any copyright/royalty/legal issue with that.)

    Moderator James Huff

    (@macmanx)

    16 years ago

    Yes, you own your content, but you have to agree to allow Automattic to display it and promote it.

    If they didn’t have such a license in place, the fact that Automattic publishes your content on your own a blog at wordpress.com would be considered a breach of your copyright.

    It’s a standard license agreement amongst all hosted blog providers. Nothing to worry about.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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