what then?

December 1, 2006 4:46 PM

If one (with? without? permission) contributed several jokes to two of Judy Brown's joke collections: Squeaky Clean Comedy and The Comedy Thesaurus, but links about it in a FPP, what then?
posted by R. Mutt to Etiquette/Policy at 4:46 PM (15 comments total)

Sorry, I meant the "it" link to be here.
posted by R. Mutt at 4:51 PM on December 1, 2006

I would say linking to a book that you're a contributor of is a no-no.
posted by bob sarabia at 4:58 PM on December 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

what then?

We explode in a bloody, foamy cosmic froth of apoplecticness and rip a dangerous hole in space-time itself!


/me turns bag of holding inside out.
posted by loquacious at 5:03 PM on December 1, 2006

Oooh, ooh - this bag of holding?
posted by niles at 5:19 PM on December 1, 2006

Stylishly, it looks like Basil also wrote his own Wikipedia entry.
posted by jack_mo at 5:33 PM on December 1, 2006

I once opened a dimension door inside a bag of holding and nearly destroyed all of spacetime. It was so cool.
posted by Eideteker at 6:13 PM on December 1, 2006

Plagerism - Self Linking, which is the greater sin?
posted by caddis at 6:20 PM on December 1, 2006

JFC, Eideteker, now you tell us? Next time howsabout a headsup?
posted by R. Mutt at 6:21 PM on December 1, 2006

If nothing else, admitting to being featured in a book of "squeaky-clean" comedy ought to be its own punishment.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:51 PM on December 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

or is atrocious spelling the big sin?
Matt, please bring back the spellchecker.
posted by caddis at 6:54 PM on December 1, 2006

I don't know, it's such a weird situation, it's not like they'll benefit from the link. It's an interesting story (jokes have never really had "copyright" attached to them since comics often riff off each others' work) and the person is involved but there aren't links to their site or to buy the book.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:37 PM on December 1, 2006

bob sarabia : I would say linking to a book that you're a contributor of is a no-no.

Funny. I would say 'Hangin's too good for 'em. Burnin's too good for em. They should be torn into itsy-bitsy pieces and buried ALIVE!'

Either that, or a polite e-mail one of the admins advising them to not to post something that they had a hand in creating. Which ever one works for you guys.
posted by quin at 7:40 PM on December 1, 2006

He might benefit from the Amazon link to her earlier book, where he writes:

I'm a standup comic and I contribute jokes to Judy for her joke books. I've connected with many new fans who found me through the jokes in Judy's books. I'm glad I let Judy use my material, because despite my film and tv credits, it was Judy's use of my jokes that convinced my family that maybe this comedy thing of Basil's might pan out into something real. Thanks Judy. Her books are also great for speechwriters who need a joke about a specific topic. Her books are organized like Bartlett's Quotations, but with jokes that are actually funny.
posted by owhydididoit at 8:20 PM on December 1, 2006

Funny enough, if anyone buys the book from that link Matt gets the referral money. I guess that guy could get some other money from the sale but I doubt it. I figure this is one of those rare times where someone is very close to the posted topic but not biased as to it's interestingness (blah, what a clumsy word).
posted by bob sarabia at 8:37 PM on December 1, 2006

jokes have never really had "copyright" attached to them since comics often riff off each others' work

What?! As far as I know the only thing that does not get copyright protection in our society are Fonts. Whether jokes are often riffed or not has no baring on their copyrightability. Music is riffed a lot too.
posted by delmoi at 12:13 PM on December 2, 2006