Copyright claims -- the next gotcha?

Star Tribune

Dan McDonald
September 5, 2005 FORUM0905


One of your employees just read an article he likes, so he e-mails a copy to 10 colleagues. No problem, right?

Think again. If the company does not have permission to forward electronic copies of the article, its employees might have just committed copyright infringement. And don't assume it's not a "real" problem just because you haven't heard much about it.

Ask Legg Mason, the investment management firm, which was hit with a nearly $20 million judgment for repeatedly violating the copyright of a newsletter publisher. The company systematically forwarded electronic copies of the newsletter, without permission, to employees. While the fact that it went to trial and the size of the award make the . . .