Hi guys, I have this dilemma!

I've recently copied my own article originally titled "Submitting to web directories is useless job?!" from my own website, and I've published it on GoArticles.com as my own article, because it really is my... The article was about web directories, and how really is helpful submitting websites to them, titled as "Web Directories - helpful or useless?!". Couple of days later I've posted on some other blog, something related with previous article, and have linked to it too... Eventually, I've got a few replays with advices in form like: it is NOT recommended to duplicate (copy and past) any content, no matter if I am author or not, because it might be taken for a copyright violation... They have also quoted a few examples for instance how Google was referred to the similar cases they have...
At first I was surprised, and wondered how is that possible... I mean, if I wrote something, and I am author of the particular article, then I have right to duplicate it as much as I like too?! But, in the other hand, I don't have reason question these theories. They have tried to support it by some evidence?!

However, I know, for example, Googlebot has very powerful history storage, so they can easily trace who is writing what, and which article appears first, which later?!
But, what if... what if search engine wasn't cache my article first... what if search engine cache copy of the article fist then original... who knows??? Everything is possible!!!

So, I ask you people, what do you think about this dilemma? If I duplicate my own content... am I still an author, or just another "replicator"

Snooper

If you wrote the original article, then yes you have the right to reproduce it or make derivative works of it.

The strength of the content won't be as high if you rewrite an old article as if you write a new one (unique content is always better), but there's nothing wrong with doing it.

If this was the case it would signal the death-knell for RSS feeds - plus it's simply not possible to violate your own copyright.

For more info on this topic you may want to look at this thread:

http://www.webmaster-talk.com/the-go...e-content.html

That brings up a question Ihave been pondering.
If I submit all my blog post articles to Goarticles and Hubpages.
will I get penalized by the search engines.

No ....

Originally Posted by Snooper

I mean, if I wrote something, and I am author of the particular article, then I have right to duplicate it as much as I like too?! But, in the other hand, I don't have reason question these theories.

Devil's advocate. I write documentation all the time at work. They have me write some code, usually T-SQL, then I write up how it works, what could break down over the years, how to go about fixing it, all that. Anyway, nobody doubts I wrote it, but I can't post it on blogs and article sites. I don't have the copyright, because I was paid to write it.

How does that apply to your question? Well, the law tends to run behind technology. Copyrights aren't 100 % clear. When in doubt, a lot of people want to err on the side of safety. Also, it answers a question thrown in among the larger question.

I've submitted to several different directories and only had positive results. I don't think about duplicate content or copyright violation often, although I never steal from other people, of course.

For me, submitting your EXACT article to article directory is not advisable. To preserve the uniqueness of your article, rephrase it. Thru this, you'll avoid the issue of duplicate content.