Tech News Update

Blogging should not be misunderstood as journalism. There is a huge difference between these two. The journalism rights do not govern blogging and neither the blogger.But blogging should be seen as a privileged platform which empowers one to write with free will. This is a comprehensive list of some basic facts about blogging rights, a list of common questions answered by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. These are the five things any blogger should know clearly.

Know Your Rights

1. Quotes : Quotes from a blog with All Rights Reserved, are NOT seen as a copyright infringement when used for commenting, criticizing, reporting, teaching or research.
2. Images : The use of images is hazy though images have the same copyright as text. Images can be used as thumbnails or parts of images can be used safely in most cases. It is advisable to mention a full credit for the image to the site it is taken from to be on the safe side.
3. Blogging and Journalism : Bloggers are not Journalists but Journalists can blog. A journalist can use a blogging platform to write a journalism blog, but a blogger does not have the same rights as a Journalist.
4. Defamation Claims : A claim to defamation can be made if the information provided by the defame is fake. In case the information is right, it is a defense to defamation only if supported with adequate proof.
5. Trademark : A trademark can be used in any content till it is unique

These are just some basic guidelines In addition, EFF continues to battle for bloggers’ rights in the courtroom:

Bloggers can be journalists (and journalists can be bloggers). We’re battling for legal and institutional recognition that if you engage in journalism, you’re a journalist, with all of the attendant rights, privileges, and protections. (See Apple v. Does.)

Bloggers are entitled to free speech. We’re working to shield you from frivolous or abusive threats and lawsuits. Internet bullies shouldn’t use copyright, libel, or other claims to chill your legitimate speech. (See OPG v. Diebold.)

Bloggers have the right to political speech. We’re working with a number of other public-interest organizations to ensure that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) doesn’t gag bloggers’ election-related speech. We argue that the FEC should adopt a presumption against the regulation of election-related speech by individuals on the Internet, and interpret the existing media exemption to apply to online media outlets that provide news reporting and commentary regarding an election — including blogs. (See our joint comments to the FEC [PDF, 332K].)

Bloggers have the right to stay anonymous. We’re continuing our battle to protect and preserve your constitutional right to anonymous speech online, including providing a guide to help you with strategies for keeping your identity private when you blog. (See How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else).)

Bloggers have freedom from liability for hosting speech the same way other web hosts do. We’re working to strengthen Section 230 liability protections under the Communications Decency Act (CDA) while spreading the word that bloggers are entitled to them. (See Barrett v. Rosenthal.)

If you’d like to spread the word about our work, consider adding an EFF Bloggers’ Rights Badge to your blog or website.

This useful post for bloggers is written by our guest author Ashish Mundhra. If you like to share something like Ashish Did