In a message dated 4/3/2004 8:10:55 PM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
That is what I do.  Subscribing to the list (subscribing to the list
establishes a contract, which is different from copyright) grants right
to quoting of postings on the list in replies.  All use outside the list
is forbidden (no forwarding to a friend, colleague, etc. "Did you see/
know/hear about this?", no forwarding to other lists, no quoting in
magazines/journals/etc.) unless explicit permission is obtained from the
author for the copying.  I may also have some copyright for entire postings
as listowner & editor, depends.  Nothing may be published in a magazine,
journal, newspaper, etc. without the express permission of the author and
the listowner(s).  Enforcement is another matter.

We have a situation on my list that has just come up since this thread
started:

I received an email from a former list member. This particularl individual
lives in Australia as well.  (We are an international list with the listserv
sponsor we use located in the US.)

She wanted all posts of her deleted from our archives as it may cause her
problems in her family court.

We have perused the emails and frankly don't see anything that would be
overtly damaging, but that is not our legal call to make of course.  However, when
I approached our listserv sponsors about the mechanics involved, we were
informed it could be done by hand on a post by post basis (2 years worth of posts,
mind you.)  They were quite nice and offered to do this, but I hate to ask
anyone to do this.

We were also informed that our list could be marked as private. It has been a
publically accessed list since its inception.

While I would like to help this lady, I don't feel morally compelled to
change the basic philosophy and structure of our list. Plus the individual
deletions would leave holes in the threads that would make following things quite
difficult at times.

What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Linda Newell
The Myasthenic Meeting Place
www.myasthenicmeeingplace.org.uk