I was just visiting the ESPNet college site for the first time (I was
very impressed), and I then visited the USA Today site.  I was
surprised and shocked to see that they have taken some of what I
wrote for my BU site without permission, or even bothering to ask me
for permission.
 
As I write thjis, the shock has given way to anger, mixed with
disgust.  Here is a commercial for profit publication which I would
expect to honor US copyright laws.  Yet they have taken some of what
I have written and used it as their own.  Nor has the paper bothered
to give any credit as to where any of the 'articles' come from.
 
I do not consider myself a great, or even good, writer and I spent a
lot of time composing what I have written for my site.  Most of my
information was learned from The Boston Globe and/or the local TV
stations, but I did my best to write my own short articles for my
site.
 
I am also aware that I myself need to work on a coming up with a
better way of giving credit for the information on my site which is
from BU media guides and other sources.  Still, I believe I have
tried to give such credit.  I have also usually ask for permission
from the proper person(s) before putting anything on my site.
 
I have put hundreds of hours into my site since I created it and this
past week I have spent tens of hours trying my best to give the most
up-to-date and informative information I could on the condition of
Travis Roy.  Therefore I am upset that USA Today has felt that they
can just take whatever infroamtion they want from my site and pass it
off on their site as their own work.
 
Please accept my apology for this rant.  I am currently very tird and
this past week has been less than wonderful, so this really has set
me off.
 
Sean Pickett            E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Go Terriers  1995 NCAA, Hockey East and Beanpot Champions
BU Hockey:  http://www.tiac.net/users/spickett/hockey.html
 
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