Copyright Laws

[Connie]

Is it against copyright laws to provide links and quotes from articles such as at lds.org or other websites? There is a particular person on here who refuses to provide quotes to support the claims they make of prophets who have said this or that and one of their most favorite excuses is that they are afraid it's against copyright laws. So, is it?

[Tarnished]

As long as you cite your sources you should be fine. Otherwise any college student writing a research paper of any kind would be in trouble as well. If all else fails I am sure there are citing resources out there to ensure that your citations do not violate any copywright law.

[Captain_Curmudgeon]

Sounds like a cop-out to me.

[Faded]

Plagiarism and Copyright laws are intended to prevent two things:

1.) Person B copies the works of Person A verbatim for the purpose of making money without acknowledging the fact that they copied Person A. Essentially, Person B pretends it was "all my idea" and so forth.

2.) Anything along the lines of a research paper. Person B finds a Doctorate Thesis written by Person A, so they copy it exactly and turn it in as 100% THEIR OWN.

In a web forum environment it is pretty much impossible to violate copyright laws. Nobody here is getting paid for their posts. Nobody's posts here are credit towards a college degree.

Consider this: It is 100% legal to copy the entire contents of a music CD onto a Cassette Tape. It only becomes illegal when you start selling the cassette tapes for money. Audio Home Recording Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Captains link pretty well covers it though. "Fair use" of existing material is generally understood as using someone else's statement or material without making money or claiming an entire work as the copier own creation.

Edited April 8, 2009 by Faded

[Moksha]

Is it against copyright laws to provide links and quotes from articles such as at lds.org or other websites?

A link immediately gives credit to a source.

[pam]

I provide links to articles and statements from lds.org all the time. I can't imagine that a site such as that would have a problem with someone quoting it.

[miztrniceguy]

A link immediately gives credit to a source.

yes, a link to a quote gives credit to the person who made it. However there is no law saying you have to do so, just as when speaking verbally there is no law requiring someone to provide the name of the person quoted.

Providing a link, or stating the source will keep someone from having to state "call for reference"

****disclaimer****The preceding statements are just my opinion, except where quoted otherwise.

[Faded]

yes, a link to a quote gives credit to the person who made it. However there is no law saying you have to do so, just as when speaking verbally there is no law requiring someone to provide the name of the person quoted.

Providing a link, or stating the source will keep someone from having to state "call for reference"

****disclaimer****The preceding statements are just my opinion, except where quoted otherwise.

In the neverending battle of, "I'm right and you're wrong" a person can claim just about anything. The trouble with LDS theology, history and beliefs is that there is a neverending quantity of false information. There is false doctrine and false information within the Church and it's faithful church-attending members. False doctrines and false accusations from outside the Church.

I can say whatever I want and not be held LEGALLY accountable. I could say, "Mormons worship cows! It's a well known fact! If you don't beleive me, look at this picture of their 'sacred temple.' There, do you see it! It's a big 'sacred' bath-tub sitting on top of 12 cows. It's idol worship and animal worship, and there's your proof!" <-- So would this accurately represent what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ACTUALLY believes? Of course not! Anyone who actually took such a person seriously in those statements is extremely gullible.

So it comes down to this: You must build your own credibility. You build credibility by finding credible sources, linking them and citing them as a basis for what you are claiming. Also, you can build a degree of credibility from personal experience, but that is nowhere near as strong or believable.

[Captain_Curmudgeon]

In the neverending battle of, "I'm right and you're wrong" a person can claim just about anything. The trouble with LDS theology, history and beliefs is that there is a neverending quantity of false information.

Amen! Let me see if I can find a quote from one of my favorite people at BYU on the problem.

Peter Crawley, a BYU professor (math and history):

"...While certain doctrines are enunciated in the standard works and some doctrinal issues have been addressed in formal pronouncements by the First Presidency, there is nothing in Mormonism comparable to the Westminster Confession of Faith of the Augsburg Confession. Few of the truly distinctive doctrines of Mormonism are discussed in official sources. It is mainly by unofficial means -- Sunday School lessons, seminary, institute, and BYU religion classes, sacrament meeting talks and books by Church officials and others who ultimately speak only for themselves -- that the theology is passed from one generation to the next. Indeed it would seem that a significant part of Mormon theology exists primarily in the minds of the members... the absence of a formal creed means that each generation must produce a new set of gospel expositors to restate and reinterpret the doctrines of Mormonism."

[Dravin]

However there is no law saying you have to do so, just as when speaking verbally there is no law requiring someone to provide the name of the person quoted.

And there is no law stating I have to believe with or without sources, I'm just a lot more likely to do so if you can back up your claim. If you quote someone and I ask, "Uh, where did he say that?" and you come back with, "Oh somewhere, sometime possibly on this planet, if you are that curious you can can go look it up." don't expect me to give you much weight.

Think of it this way:

Person A: The Savior said, "Cheese is divine and if you eat it while riding a skateboard your salvation is assured no matter what you do."

Person B: *Skeptical* Where did he say that?

Person A: Look, he did okay, its public knowledge if you really want to know you can go look it up.

Person B: You're bent!

I'm kinda inclined to side with B not with A.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Dravin

[Connie]

And there is no law stating I have to believe with or without sources, I'm just a lot more likely to do so if you can back up your claim. If you quote someone and I ask, "Uh, where did he say that?" and you come back with, "Oh somewhere, sometime possibly on this planet, if you are that curious you can can go look it up." don't expect me to give you much weight.

Think of it this way:

Person A: The Savior said, "Cheese is divine and if you eat it while riding a skateboard your salvation is assured no matter what you do."

Person B: *Skeptical* Where did he say that?

Person A: Look, he did okay, its public knowledge if you really want to know you can go look it up.

Person B: You're bent!

I'm kinda inclined to side with B not with A.

Too bad one can't hit both the thank and laugh buttons. That was hilarious!