Remedies

The University sent me an email to let me know that things will be rectified. It appears to be an honest mistake and I'm satisfied with the results. I have yet to hear from the other folks.

I know I sound like a big ogre about of this. There's a sentiment out there that nothing should be protected by copyright. Since it's creative work, it belongs to everyone.

While I'm as idealistic as the next person, I'm also practical. A brick layer works hard for his money. No one looks at him and say, "You know, your brick wall serves society. Therefore, you should donate your time and money and receive no compensation other than our gratitude."

Part of the reason I left theater was because of what I perceived to be a lack of respect for writers. No money, no union and lots of people claiming ownership for your work. It's an odd way to treat your visionaries. Yes, I'm calling playwrights - visionaries. They are the idea people. Without their ideas and dialogue, you have improv.

As a writer, I'm in the idea profession. It is my job to come up with ideas/stories/ and write them down. That's what I do.

Of course, that's not all I do. For the past 17 years, I've worked a slew of day jobs in tandem with spending many hours writing. It's been a difficult balance. I've delayed dating, starting a family and a whole host of other stuff just so I could continue writing.

You guys who are also writers know all of this. But perhaps it needs to be restated. And my fellow writers, let me leave you with one final thought about all of this: When you allow someone to infringe on your copyright, you are setting a dangerous legal precedent. A lawyer warned me about this a month or two ago. When someone infringes about your copyright and you choose not to defend it each and every time, you are basically allowing people to steal your work each and every time. Copyright is not selective. You either own it or you don't. You demonstrate you own it, or you don't. You can't defend it in one instance and allow it in another.

That was my understanding with the lawyer. Should I say that it doesn't constitute legal advice and to consult your own attorney? Consider it said.