"Ahh but you forgot the rest of the questions.
Let us review. Question one: Can one author plagiarize another Author?
Your answer: Of course.
Question Two: If so would this open up Free Republic to copyright suit if such were posted in full on Free Republic?
Your answer?
Hope you don't mind, but I think since this is kind of a group discussion, it's not inappropriate for me to interject.
The gist of your question seems obvious, but for the sake of clarity, I believe you're suggesting that FR could be in legal trouble if the insistence on full text posting resulted in plagiarized material be fully posted by an unscrupulous blogger, of which we know, there are many.
The answer is -
no.
FreeRepublic falls under the "Safe Harbor" provision of the
Digital Millenium Copyright Act (PDF) which provides Web hosts with protection from liability from infringement perpetrated by their users if they meet certain criteria. One of those criteria is to “expeditiously” remove content that is found to be infringing once properly notified.
As long as JimRob and Co. comply in a timely manner with any infringement notices received under the provisions of DMCA, they are in no danger of being sued by someone whose work has been plagiarized and posted here by a smarmy, lowlife, content stealing, hit farming, excerpt abusing blog pimp.
"The answer is - no." Really?
Now remember the question is does such open them up to a lawsuit. Not whether they are guilty of such.
And further understand even if such does not actually go to actual trial that still was not my question. My question is does such open them up to a lawsuit?
Even if such a suit does not make it to litigation (and do you really trust the legal system that is rife with liberal judges to deny cert in such a case?) Free Republic would still need lawyer to answer such a charge and if they didn't retain legal counsel and submit the required documents the opposing counsel would have field day.
All such things cost mucho dollars and if memory serves the FRepathons are not bringing in the same bucks as they used to which is understandable being our economy is in the toilet and folks have less money to give!