Am I infringing?

emilycross · Oct 11, 2010

Apologies that I've been so quiet in this quarter lately, I hope you don't mind me asking this question (and if it's been asked before, please feel free to delete/move).

I've started a blog about poetry, I've posted some of my own poems (obviously I know these are now 'published') but I've also posted favourite poems of mine by the likes of Emily Dickinson, Patrick Kavanagh or Seamus Heaney.

Now I'm wondering if I should take some of these posts down? Specifically is it illegal for me to be posting other people's poems up on my blog? Obviously I have creditation for each poem i.e. written by 'name of poet'. I'm especially concerned about the modern poems I've posted up (e.g. Seamus Heaney)? Would it be best to keep in the realm of 16-19th century poets?

Any thoughts/ advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

veinglory · Oct 11, 2010

It us entirely possible that some of these poems are copyright and you cannot legally post them. You need to check on a case by case basis.

emilycross · Oct 11, 2010

Thanks Veinglory!

Julie Worth · Oct 11, 2010

emilycross said:
I've also posted favourite poems of mine by the likes of Emily Dickinson, Patrick Kavanagh or Seamus Heaney.

The owners of the Emily Dickinson copyrights take infringement very seriously (though not all of her work is still under copyright).

emilycross · Oct 11, 2010

Well I've removed all the poems bar by own. Tis not worth the worry.

Thanks everyone though!

Norman D Gutter · Oct 11, 2010

Emily C:

Copyright is confusing, especially since the law varies from country to country, and within a country depending on the country in which the copyright is held, and given that the laws change with much too much frequency. I know that for works published in the USA, anything published in 1923 and before is in the public domain, the copyright having expired. In the case of ED's poems, she wrote them all well before that, but when did they first see print? Nowadays the copyright is from the time of creation (I believe; can't look up the law right now), not when it first sees print, but that might not be true of works as old as ED's.

I always try to err on the side of being over-protective of copyrights, rather than under-protective, as I hope others treat my works that way.

Best regards,
NDG

thehairymob · Oct 12, 2010

My understanding is that the copyright is held by the family for up to 60 years after the death of the author here in the UK. Not sure of the USA though.

Am I infringing?

emilycross

is away with the fairies

veinglory

volitare nequeo

emilycross

is away with the fairies

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

emilycross

is away with the fairies

Norman D Gutter

Engineer Sonneteer

thehairymob

If I had a brain I'd still be dumb