Giving Away your Rights

Just a few words
every writer, author, blogger, publisher, or copier 
    must know:

"_____________ Company grants you 
  a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, 
  non-transferable license 
  to access and make personal, 
  non-commercial use of the (Material) or its content 
and not to download 
  (other than page caching or unless otherwise allowed 
         by _______________ Company or permitted by law) 
or modify all or any portion of the (Material) 
  and its content.

This license does not include any resale or 
  commercial use of the Material or its contents;"

Content is King these modern times, always has been
      and it is not "free" although you'd never know
when you see company names 
      like Huff Post or Random House
and the writer's or author's name
      even if "House editors"
and the article title
      and date and time of pub

None of it is free
      not even from my source of choice
Wikipedia

All require attribution, and/or a fee, 
      for you to use
unless a critic...
      so criticize whatever you copy 
is my advice

Add your opinion of it.

Speak your mind and heart
      don't let it stand -- 
            alone

If that is what you must do 
      to save your assets and not get sued
in this U.S. and worldwide society
      litigious as in ubiquitous
all to make a buck
      not from their content,
but from your auth or 
      unauthorized use of it

More money to be made 
      in that than the creation itself
for Content is King
      and you won't get paid for it
but may get your name in print
      for whatever that's worth...

Asking Permission

Dick my boss told me decades ago

        "Easier to ask for forgiveness

              than for permission"

as we spent millions of

     dollars of

someone else's taxes

      without asking

only telling

Today authors jobs

       tough as nails

 'cause every word  or lyric's

        been hashtagged before

and our job to twist them

         to make our own

With 17 million books

       on Amazon today

over 300k published new

       annually

and that's just here

With tweets and captions and bon mots and sayings

       quips and quotes and sound bites galore

who could ever be sure

       it hasn't been said before

I can't

So Google is best bud, my pal, my friend

And when I find

      words from someone else

I want to ask permission

      really

But none tell you how

      not even a tweet

how to obtain

       a Right to Use

so I can make a few bucks

       using mostly mine

and fewness of their's

Writing letters to the Editor

       the Times called and asked

for sources –

       never did in past editions

Publishers and editors

       demand the same

every one

       before they'll print

commercially

When once found

       these original sources

only delay response

       perhaps emails back and forth

"How many words (do you intend to use)?

        and they have hidden magic price lists

they won't share

"Six bucks per copy

       for 3,000 words."

And I don't know

       if Mister King or

only Simon & Shuster

       keeps the dough

And the delay

       rather than money

kills the project

       unless self-published

So that's just what I'll do

       and to hell with you

who create deep bottomless

       hell pits

Sue my LLC if you

         care too

Original prose poem by Rodney Richards 7-4-15

Author's note: Based on true stories

Playing Fair with Music Lyrics

There's only one way

      to publish favorite lyrics

for money

      and that's critical review

according to Copyright Act

      section 107

What's said and used must

       be transformative

not merely derivative

        according to U.S. courts

If changing Woo Hoo, woo hoo hoo

        from the 5, 6, 7, 8s

to Wooo Whooo, Wooo Whooo

        that's merely derivative

But if saying "I never heard

        such a stupid thing as Woo Hoo,"

that's opinion

        which can't be challenged

Even tho

        I've probably called it out

once or twice hailing a friend

        but women seem to do that

more than men

        or is it "You Who?"

Whether publishing opinion

       for commercial gain

or not

So here goes, although

       admitting I hate

criticizing popular music or

       classic rocks favorites

Don't like callin' out

       musicians and singers

they work hard and good

        at what they write and sing and play

so deserve their

        sweat from labors

and box office proceeds

Sing along and hum and tap with

       Billy Joel and the

       Beatles and

Stones songs for three

Each free on MS Media Player

       every morn

But can't sell any, any, lyrics

      to make money for me,

that would be illegal

      would get sued for sure

because record labels and Tom Petty

       are ruthless

They sued Robin Thicke

       and Pharrell Williams

just to name two who lost

       over three stupid notes

to "earn" free money for

       lawyers and studios

Publishing one's exact words

      a big "No no"

causing loss of assets

      for sure

as other writers horror stories

      by Writers Beware shows

We're forced to ask some

       unknown or most popular

author or publisher for

       permission

Hard to get easily

      for all the hullabaloo and

          woo hoo,

these assholes cause

Original prose poem by Rodney Richards 7-4-15

Writing is a Process

What isn't a process?

There are instants, as in "Johnny get away from that hot stove this instant!" or moments as in "She took a moment to gather her wits," or even periods as in "The class period ended with the bell." And ages and epochs, and hours, days, weeks and months, and cycles and eons and years. All terms used to describe time: 

"Time flies. Time waits for no man. Time heals all wounds. All of us want more time. Time to stand up. Time to grow up. Time to let go. Time is money. Time well spent." - Unknown quotes And because there is time, everything is a process. A process of change from one moment to the next, from one state to another, from one form to a different one. Change and time the two constants in this universe, because even the sun will explode or collapse eventually. Both constants yet ever-moving. PROCESS n. 1. a systematic series of actions directed to some end. 2. a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner. Writing is a process. Every story has beginning, middle and end. Or at least implied. Every written word, phrase, sentence, paragraph and links of paragraphs has a purpose, a point, a resolution or climax. Except life as in creation, without end; not as in our own that are finite, end-able in an instant or months or years. And life, and time and change are action. Constant motion. Even standing still is to feel the Earth spin under one's feet. And writing, good writing, is showing action or leading to action. Every page of a good book either showing or leading to action. For nature abhors a vacuum, abhors nothingness, there must be something in motion, moving ever-forward without end. Even our finite lives without end if we believe. And good writing is believable, trustworthy, honest and, and ... what you the writer make of it and what you the reader make of it. Always combining writer and reader, reader and writer seamlessly back and forth, forth and back, heading toward some systematic conclusion, even if hidden from mortal eyes and ears and hands and bodies but not from hearts and minds and -- feelings. Good writing is action of mind, body, spirit, heart and emotion,