An unwanted Wills thread

[MythicalMarian]

Pardon me if this has been suggested before, but as we have a 'Free to Good Home' section for unwanted certificates, I wondered if it is worth starting one for Unwanted Wills. Over the years I have certainly amassed many wills, and naturally a few have turned out to be of no relation to me.

I for one would be very happy to offer wills free to good homes if the mods think this is permissable. We could perhaps put the name of the testator, witnesses names and a list of beneficiaries or something - that way, a person looking for a will would recognise if it could be of use to them.

Any use everyone?

[sue2white]

There you are with unwanted wills and there I am trying desparately to find one!!
Perhaps you may come up trumps??!!

|sad1|

Sue

[MythicalMarian]

On the Unwanted Wills board, you must not offer copies of documents you may hold. Only the actual item can be passed on.

If anyone offers to pass on copies of wills, that would be in breach of copyright and thus the post will be deleted.

I am totally confused now, Bo. If we are offering unwanted wills, what else are we offering except a copy of that document that we hold? This defeats the whole object of the exercise. |help|

[MarkJ]

My understanding is this -

If you purchase/obtain a will which turns out to not be one of yours, you can pass on the purchased copy. What you cannot do is make a copy of the will you have purchased for distribution to others via the forum as that would be a breach of copyright. In exactly the same way as a purchased BMD certificate can be passed on to another person - but not a photocopy or other reproduction.

Mark

[MythicalMarian]

My understanding is this -

If you purchase/obtain a will which turns out to not be one of yours, you can pass on the purchased copy. What you cannot do is make a copy of the will you have purchased for distribution to others via the forum as that would be a breach of copyright. In exactly the same way as a purchased BMD certificate can be passed on to another person - but not a photocopy or other reproduction.

Mark

Ah - Mark! Now, that makes sense, and I'm clear now. I've just PM'd Fin about it, but you've answered the question. Senior moment, folks - now passed. :)

[MythicalMarian]

I believe you are trying to confuse poor old, Bo.:confused:

Hehe - you and me both! No, Mark has made it very clear what you meant, Bo. I would offer the copy of the will from the record office or wherever gratis to anyone who wanted it. I wouldn't offer to copy the copy - if you know what I mean. It's just the same as the certificates.

I misread your post as meaning that we couldn't pass on a copy - and of course what comes from the Record Office is a copy in itself.

Right, I'm stopping now, before we all get even more muddled. You'll be glad to know it's getting past my bedtime :D

[michaelpipe]

Do I understand this correctly? If I have a digital copy of a will on my computer which I have purchased or downloaded from the internet, then I can only offer to forward that on the solemn promise that I totally destroy my hard drive and any other storage media where it may be.:confused:

If that is the case I think I will hoard all my unwanted ones:D

[Hugh Thompson]

All of mine are digital copies:confused:
the mere act of sending it makes it a copy|help|
Hugh.:)

[arthurk]

I'm still confused. When we get copies of wills from record offices we generally have to sign a form to say that it's for personal use only and won't be passed on to anyone else etc etc. If that is the case, then are we allowed to do anything with them other than keep them or destroy them? (And according to the forms, we can only have one copy, ever - so if we destroy one and later decide we need it after all, it's tough.)

This is all done in the name of copyright - but I'm further confused as to who actually owns the copyright in a will (if anyone). |help|

Arthur