<p>No, copyright is not necessarily “exclusive”. It can be shared and it can also be subdivided. (For example, an author may sell print rights to one publisher, reserving electronic rights, translation rights, film rights, etc.)</p>
<p>CC wants the ability to use the stuff that is posted without fear of getting sued by the original posters, hence its TOS. But that doesn’t mean that someone who posts here is giving up their own rights to their original text – it just means they can’t stop CC from using or disseminating the same material. You’ll note that the word “exclusive” does not appear in the CC statements as to “property” and copyright. </p>
<p>Hypothetically the problem could arise if a very prolific poster decided to write a book about financial aid, or essay writing, or how to get into Harvard – let’s say for example the book was the “Xiggi Guide to the SAT” – and CC decided to put out its own book about SAT prep, in direct competition with Xiggi’s book, published at the same time, including all of the best Xiggi posts, but also including additional material. That would hurt book sales for Xiggi – all the reviewers on Amazon would rightfully point out that the CC book had the same stuff and more – and CC would be protected by its TOS.</p>
<p>However, that doesn’t mean that Xiggi can’t use his stuff in his own SAT book, or that he owes CC any money if he publishes and earns a ton of royalties. On the other hand, a publisher might think twice about giving him a large advance, given the fact that his book would consist largely of previously-published material. (Why pay an author a premium for recycled goods?) </p>
<p>The more intriguing question, to me, is whether CC has a right to enforce an action for copyright infringement against a third party who plagiarizes from this site. Let’s say hypothetically another publisher and web site owner – I’ll call them College Trawler – decides to post reviews of colleges with quotes from real students, but rather than getting its own quotes simply comes to CC and copies and pastes liberally from the site. Can CC sue them for copyright infringement? What if College Trawler sent PM’s to the people it quotes from and secures their permission, or even pays them a token amount – do they have a defense against CC’s claim of copyright infringement, on the theory that the original author is free to resell their work?</p>
<p>I’d note that in my current line of work, I am involved in both internet & print publishing, and often have occasion to want to republish articles that have first appeared in major newpapers. Generally I need to contact both the publisher and the author to secure the rights.</p>