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gwl-g - Re: [gwl-g] gwl-g Digest, Vol 22, Issue 10

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Subject: gardenwriters-on-gardening

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  • From: Mary Henry <mshen1@mac.com>
  • To: gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] gwl-g Digest, Vol 22, Issue 10
  • Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 22:25:41 -0800

I usually lurk rather than speak out, but this one blows my mind. I used to write information sheets for a large garden center in Minneapolis. Many times, I had to go to the literature for the information I needed and germination instructions might have been what I wrote. They were never copied verbatim from anywhere, but there is only so many ways you can say things that have fewer than 25 words. Does this mean that I need to check every seed catalog and website out there to be sure my 25 words aren't the same as someone else's? Who would ever get anything done! Copying an entire database or even several entries I can see as needing attribution, but using bald information from a widely used set of facts in a format that is very short, is going to result in a LOT of similarity no matter what your "voice" is.

Maybe I'm glad I'm semi-retired at this point.

Mary Henry
University Place, WA


On Jan 31, 2006, at 7:47 PM, gwl-g-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:



I would like to understand how this relates to other instructional copy, say
in a recipe. If the difference truly is in the manner the information is
related, then developing a unique voice in your writing is paramount.
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 22:47:39 -0500
From: Scott Vlaun <scott@moosepondarts.com>
Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Copyright on germination instructions?
To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <E75A0592-8297-4C45-B69C-DFFDF3596BE7@moosepondarts.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Having written and/or edited a few hundred seedpacks for Seeds of
Change over the last two years, I would have to say that these are
very much copyrightable. There are infinite ways to convey
information, and it is a real, and extremely time-consuming,
challenge to jam as much pertinent info as possible on the back of a
pack and still have it be readable. Every word becomes significant.
If you are hired to provide seedpack copy, I think it would be best
to write from your experience bolstered by some reliable sources of
information and as stated below, develop a unique voice.

I'm sure that anyone who writes recipes would feel the same.


Scott Vlaun
Moose Pond Arts+Ecology
Design Solutions for a Sustainable Future

35 Moose Pond Road
Otisfield, Maine 04270
207-739-2409 Studio
207-890-4099 Cell


On Jan 31, 2006, at 10:22 PM, Eog9612@aol.com wrote:

I would like to understand how this relates to other instructional
copy, say in a recipe. If the difference truly is in the manner
the information is related, then developing a unique voice in your
writing is paramount.


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End of gwl-g Digest, Vol 22, Issue 10
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