Re: BioMed Central Authors to retain copyright

[Rick Anderson <Rick_Anderson@uncg.edu>]

> As one who has been plagiarized, let me assure you there 
> are more than economic reasons to be concerned about having 
> copyright for your work. You might not think it could 
> happen to you, but it can and it is a very unpleasant and 
> unsettling experience. The remedies in this situation 
> are based on having the copyright.

Joyce makes an excellent point here -- my point about copyright being less
important to academics _as authors_ took into account direct economic
factors, but not the risk of plagiarism, which can have serious
professional consequences for the one plagiarized.  While you can prove
that someone plagiarized your work without recourse to copyright law (all
you have to do is show that you published the material first), I believe
Joyce is right in saying that the remedies for plagiarism are provided by
copyright law.

--------
Rick Anderson
Head Acquisitions Librarian
Jackson Library
UNC Greensboro
(336) 334-5281
rick_anderson@uncg.edu

"Which is the greater
miracle: to cause a stone
to speak, or a philosopher
to stop speaking?"
  -- Overheard at the
     Council of Nicaea