Forum policies re copyrighted material and spam

The following policy is effective immediately:

The posting of copyrighted material from other sites is a problem because it has the potential to create an unwanted liability for the owner of Practical Machinist. In plain terms, it's illegal.

Post links to the sites where the original material appears if you wish to reference some news article or other publication. That way, anyone who cares to can read it legally. If you post a link, please click on it once your post is up and make sure the link is valid.

This includes not only current news such as the New York Times article on debt interest, but material from ALL copyrighted books, magazines, and newspapers. ALL works created after the DMCA became law in 1998 are copyrighted, no exceptions. No copyright notice or © is required.

You may summarize or paraphrase a published work, but don't quote verbatim. Any such quotes will be deleted.

An exception exists if permission to quote is obtained from the copyright holder in advance, and that fact is noted in the post.

Everyone's cooperation is appreciated, and this policy will be enforced without exception.

Information regarding copyright is available at the US Copyright Office website www.copyright.gov

Since this policy generated a thread of comments, I split that thread off and reposted the policy by itself here. Comments can be added to that thread.

- Leigh

Spam

Since I've had several occasions to delete spam recently, I thought it
advisable to define the term and my position regarding same.

Spam is any text that promotes goods or services in which
you have or had a business or financial interest or association.

That's pretty simple and unambiguous, I think.

Spam gets deleted.

There is a Manufacturing Resource section here http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/manufacturing-resource/ where such posts are welcome.

- Leigh