The practice of genealogy researching and publishing information
about someone's ancestors falls under the purview of
intellectual property laws. Computers attached to CD-ROM readers
and communications networks make it easy to compile information
from disparate locations and then convey it to any point on the
globe. Who owns a compiled genealogy? The one who compiled it?
The one who possesses a copy? The one whose ancestors are the
subject of the compilation? Anyone? No one? This article does
not purport to answer every question about copyright and related
doctrines. Nor can it even plumb the depths of all the legal
issues involved with the practice of genealogy. Rather, it
should be taken as a launching pad for further discussions in
intellectual property. It should definitely not be construed as
legal advice. First, I'll define several terms related to
copyrights, and then, I'll talk about how copyrights relate to
you and your genealogy work. What is Copyright? A copyright is
an exclusive right to reproduce