Discussion:
What is the name of your state? WA
I was a member of a support forum that changed their rules and no longer allowed specific topics to be discussed on their forums. Respecting their wishes, I created my own forum specifically to discuss those topics they no longer allowed. I invited a few of their other members that I had previously had contact with via email or instant messenger to join me and several did. They accused me of "spamming" their members and banned me from their forum, which I did not do, but that is neither here nor there.
A lot of web drama ensued, they apparently had a "mole" on my new board who was giving them information about their members who were coming to visit my forum and the powers that be on the other board begand banning members who came to my forum for "associating" with spammers or people who intended to spam and THEN for slander and badmouthing their forum after they banned them.
Eventually they invited us to a "chat" which they hosted to "clear the air" (I was invited to the chat, but found that they had blocked my IP so that I could not participate...) One of the other girls who had been banned and was now a member of my forum kept me informed by cutting and pasting the chat and emailing me copies. One of the main things that I was concerned about was getting my information (screenname, posts etc) removed from their database and forums. They agreed to delete the information as requested.
To date they still have not done so and in fact recently sent this email to several of the members of my forum (once again "copying" me on it, but I never actually received the copy): "Per our rules* at blank.com, we will not be deleting any posts from our boards.
We reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of legal action arising from any message posted by you. By posting content on this message board, you agree that CinCHouse.com can quote from, or reuse the content in promotional materials, newsletters, or other documents. If we intend to use content posted by you in such a manner, we will generally notify you as a courtesy. All posts become the property of CinCHouse.com, except when copyrighted material is posted.
Please consider this your final contact from us.
Co-Presidents, blank.com"
These rules were NOT in effect when I registered, and I would not have agreed to this rule if it had been in effect and would not have participated on that forum. We did raise Cain over some creative literary works which had been posted to their forum and have since been removed, but all of the other posts and information remains.
It is my understanding that I retain the copyright to materials that I create and place in a "fixed" medium... the rule about things becoming "their" property was created AFTER I had revoked my original copyright and asked that my materials be removed?
Petty, petty, petty... yes I know, I simply want my information off of their databases and to move on with my life... they are being incredibly difficullt and juvenile...
Is there any way that I can get them to remove my information, or get them to honor their original agreement to remove the information?
Any advice and help is appreciated.
Christina
Answer:
Originally posted by Misfit-M
What is the name of your state? WA
I was a member of a support forum that changed their rules and no longer allowed specific topics to be discussed on their forums. Respecting their wishes, I created my own forum specifically to discuss those topics they no longer allowed. I invited a few of their other members that I had previously had contact with via email or instant messenger to join me and several did. They accused me of "spamming" their members and banned me from their forum, which I did not do, but that is neither here nor there.
A lot of web drama ensued, they apparently had a "mole" on my new board who was giving them information about their members who were coming to visit my forum and the powers that be on the other board begand banning members who came to my forum for "associating" with spammers or people who intended to spam and THEN for slander and badmouthing their forum after they banned them.
Eventually they invited us to a "chat" which they hosted to "clear the air" (I was invited to the chat, but found that they had blocked my IP so that I could not participate...) One of the other girls who had been banned and was now a member of my forum kept me informed by cutting and pasting the chat and emailing me copies. One of the main things that I was concerned about was getting my information (screenname, posts etc) removed from their database and forums. They agreed to delete the information as requested.
To date they still have not done so and in fact recently sent this email to several of the members of my forum (once again "copying" me on it, but I never actually received the copy): "Per our rules* at blank.com, we will not be deleting any posts from our boards.
We reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of legal action arising from any message posted by you. By posting content on this message board, you agree that CinCHouse.com can quote from, or reuse the content in promotional materials, newsletters, or other documents. If we intend to use content posted by you in such a manner, we will generally notify you as a courtesy. All posts become the property of CinCHouse.com, except when copyrighted material is posted.
Please consider this your final contact from us.
Co-Presidents, blank.com"
These rules were NOT in effect when I registered, and I would not have agreed to this rule if it had been in effect and would not have participated on that forum. We did raise Cain over some creative literary works which had been posted to their forum and have since been removed, but all of the other posts and information remains.
It is my understanding that I retain the copyright to materials that I create and place in a "fixed" medium... the rule about things becoming "their" property was created AFTER I had revoked my original copyright and asked that my materials be removed?
Petty, petty, petty... yes I know, I simply want my information off of their databases and to move on with my life... they are being incredibly difficullt and juvenile...
Is there any way that I can get them to remove my information, or get them to honor their original agreement to remove the information?
Any advice and help is appreciated.
Christina **A: what an idiotic scenario.
Answer:
Indeed... as they say... truth is stranger....
but thanks for the opinion... very helpful
Answer:
"Is there any way that I can get them to remove my information, or get them to honor their original agreement to remove the information?"
No. You gave them the info, they can do with it what they want.
"It is my understanding that I retain the copyright to materials that I create and place in a "fixed" medium... the rule about things becoming "their" property was created AFTER I had revoked my original copyright and asked that my materials be removed?"
While this may be technically true, so what? Unless you've got many dollars burning a hole in your pocket in order to file an infringement suit against them -- and, depending on the wording of their terms of service, they may own the copyright anyway to your posting -- there isn't anything you can do about, so why worry about it.
Answer:
My response:
The terms of operation and membership of this site, for example, says that when I applied, I agreed that everything I wrote belongs to FreeAdvice - - not me. Once I press the "send" button, my ownership of the words I write changes hands.
And, truth be told, for the most part - - hell, for the greater part - - I'm glad that someone else owns my words. I dont' want them anyway!
IAAL
Answer:
there was no such "rule" when I registered. It was put up after the fact...
Oh well, thanks for the insight... guess I can call JAG...
Take care,
Christina