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As a presenter at STC conferences, I'm not too happy with the complete
transfer of copyright either. While I understand and uphold the idea that it
makes it easier to distribute proceedings to attendees and other interested
parties, I am also acutely aware that it is my valuable intellectual
property that we're talking about in that situation.
As a presenter, I get no remuneration for speaking at the conference. I do
get a discount on the registration fee, and some nice perks, but my
intellectual property has greater value than whatever I might receive from
the STC. I also think the full presentation is the benefit people deserve to
get for attending. What's the point of paying to attend conference if you
can pick up the proceedings and get it all anyway for a fraction of the
cost?
Consequently, the proceedings contain 1-page informative summaries of my
talks. This meets the Society's goals of publicizing the conference,
providing lasting value, and helping the members, as well as my own goals of
protecting my material.
If I am giving away my material, _I_ want to control that process. We
technical writers don't usually think much about our own copyrights unless
confronted with such a situation. Perhaps we should.
--Beth
Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology
416-491-5050 x3133
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