There is some debate on the legality of using content submitted via RSS feed on another website. The legal side of RSS feeds is the RSS copyright. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a marketing tool used by bloggers and websites. RSS utilizes an XML file to create an update system. When you post a new entry to your blog or want to promote a new business venture, RSS allows you to notify many individuals at one time of the update.
From a legal stance, the internet as a whole falls into a gray pit. The internet is a global-wide structure. Since there is no standardization to law, every country has it own set of rules. The internet is difficult to regulate. Therefore, RSS feeds are difficult to regulate. As a general rule, reusing someone else‚s content is prohibited, because copyright laws attach to feeds. As a writer, when I compose words that will eventually be published on the internet, someone owns the right to those words. In most cases, it is the publisher since I get paid to contribute content. For personal websites or blogs, the author owns the rights. Unless you specifically give license to another site for your content, it cannot be replicated.
Does that mean that when you put the entire content of an article in an RSS feed that it cannot be republished? Technically, yes. Sending out text through a feed does not renounce your rights to the article. That doesn‚t mean that someone won‚t redistribute it for their own profit. They shouldn‚t, but they probably will.
There is a way to remind others that you own the article. It is not a legal necessity to put a copyright statement in your feeds, but it is smart. This reminds anyone who might consider reproducing your content, that it is a violation of copyright laws. This is not blanket protection, by any means. It's a common sense maneuver that may cut back on theft of your articles. Think of it as the sign on the door that states ’Do not Trespass.‚ People may still trespass, but some will see the sign and reconsider.
Licensing Statement
You can add a line in your XML code to remind others that you own the rights to content.
<channel>
<title>My Blog </title>
<link>http://www.myblog.com </link>
<description>All the Stuff I Write </description>
<copyright>2011 Darla Ferrara All rights reserved. </copyright>
That one extra line in the XML feed data serves as a friendly reminder that copying content is both morally and legally wrong.