Do you assert a copyright over member's posts?

Do you assert copyright over your members posts or just force a irrevocable worldwide royalty free right to reproduce said content?

Most people don't think much about that distinction. Asserting a copyright essentially means you own any content submitted (posts, pictures, etc). Reproduction rights means the original poster owns the post but you have a the right to reproduce said content forever.

 

There was an interesting topic about this at the xenForo community. Too bad I could not find it,

Anyway...
Forcing copyright over members' contents might force them not to contribute to the forum so basically all of the content submitted at my forum is copyrighted to the author of the post.

 

Agreed, perfect response

 

No, I don't. But usually the content is owned by you - if you own the domain/copyright. Like, my community is a registered business to me in TX.

 

Does this mean that a poster, say a year forum member with 1500 posts, can demand that, after you ban them for some reason, you remove all their posts? And would they have legal standing to demand it? I'm not a lawyer but am wondering if anyone knows the legal ramifications of allowing the poster to own copyright.

 

What they post is THEIRS meaning I cannot use on a third party my members' posts or articles (nor would I want anyway). The moment they are posted, the messages become the forum's 'property' meaning my members cannot have their posts deleted when they decide to not post anymore. If you post something, it stays there. But I don't use the content elsewhere

 

I've never did this to my members. But I will say this much. I would prefer my visitors give ANY site of mine unique content. I wouldn't exactly smile upon duplicates across the web.

 

I agree with this. It basically means that overall their posts become that of the forum but not for the forum owners to use on other websites. Have you ever had someone want posts deleted if they were leaving the forum? Just curious.