Willis Dan Cook Source Magazine Assignment

In your own words, summarize what the article is about.

This article is about a blogger who posted a recipe on her blog.  That recipe post was taken by a magazine and added into one of their issues.  Monica (the blogger) then asked the editor of the magazine to apologize for lifting her post, and asked the magazine to make a $130 donation to the Columbia School of Journalism.  The editor replied back in a very rude way, and explained how she was in no way doing anything wrong by publishing Monica's blog post.

Did Cook's Magazine have the legal right to post Monica Gaudio's work? Why or why not?

They did not have the right to publish Monica's work.  The editor believed that the internet was public domain, which is not the case.  The editor was mistaken about her opinion on internet and public domain.  Since the internet is not public domain, and the rights of the post still belong to Monica, they did not have the right to use it at all.

Did Cook's Magazine behave morally?

In my opinion they did not behave morally.  It seems that someone who has been in the business of publishing for "three decades" would know copyright laws.  It really seems like the editor was being deceitful in using the artical without permission.  One of the main signs of this, for me, was how she responded to Monica's request.  if it had truly been a mistake or misunderstanding of the law, most people would have been quick to resolve the issue.  

What is the difference between what is legal and what is moral?

What is legal is what the law of the land says you cannot do, and consequences can come from those who enforce the law.  There is overlap, but what is moral is what you know is the right thing to do.  Something that is immoral is not necessarily illegal, and what is considered moral by one, may not be by another.  

Can you give an example of when the law and morals values are at odds?

The first thing that comes to my mind is the topic of abortion.  The law varies from state to state, but there are some that feel that it is morally wrong, and others that do not have a moral problem with it.  Places where it is illegal creates a conflict with some people's moral views of it being ok.  The opposite is true in the places where it is legal.