Yes, but does it really make up for stealing?

This morning, whilst enjoying a (sadly) burnt espresso, I leafed through a copy of Cook's Source Magazine. You might remember this publication from the Great Internet Plagiarism Case of '10. Inside the front cover, where circulation information should be, there was an apology, declaration that the editors are changing their ways, and what appeared to be a rectification of the matter. An apple a day indeed.

This brings to mind the question of where intellectual property protection ends, and whether such protections exist once something has been put "out there." Did you hear the one about the American woman whose family photo ended up, unbeknownst to (and unauthorized by) them, as a supermarket window display in Prague. The woman, Danielle Smith, of Missouri, posted the photo on a blog (uh oh) and attached it to holiday e-mails. Ms Smith explains that it that had her friend not happened upon the ad whilst living in the Czech Republic capital, she would have had no idea that her family's image was being used.

They say publish or perish. I guess these days, it's possible to simultaneously do both.