This just in ...
=== Tim, Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry for neglecting your question regarding reports. The reports are not Angie's List's reports; they are member reports on Angie's List. A member essentially "owns" his or her report and can change it or delete it at will. Members are welcome to add to or edit their original report, should they so choose. (Keep in mind that there is a 1000-character limit for the comments section of the reports.) It just takes an e-mail or a phone call regarding what needs to be added or edited and we will make the requested changes. Once the original report has been posted, these changes or deletions have to be routed through us due to system limitations. I hope this information helps. Please feel free to contact us if you need anything else, have any problems, or would like to report on companies that you have recently used. Thanks again! Marcie Hrankowsky Angie's List Research Specialist/Level Two ===How interesting. This makes it seem that this decision¹ was intentional, rather than an oversight. That's assuming that a Research Specialist/Level Two is authoritative on this.
I wonder why? I can't figure out a good rationale for it, especially since that's essentially what they're selling². Don't tell me that not everyone is as paranoid about IP rights as I am. ;)
¹ - The decision not to incorporate a mandatory license/assignment agreement into the website's use guidelines, which would allow the website to exert ownership rights over the user-provided reports.
² - I know it's not exactly what they're selling; they're selling access to the reports, and their categorization and management of the reports. But still, without the reports, there is nothing to sell.