Who Owns the Words?

[Arthur Chandler <arthurc@crl.com>]

   I realize that a thread similar to this one was debated on this list a
month or so ago; but the problem has special urgency for me right now, and
so I've made the posited situation much more specific. I'd be much obliged
if anyone would post or email me their feelings, or references to legal
precedents, on this issue. 
   Many thanks.

   A dilemma: if you are writing a paper, and you want to quote someone's
posted (say, to cypherpunks) remarks, what are the obligations?
   1) None: by posting, people make their words public domain.
   2) No legal obligations, but it would be polite to ask permission.
   3) Whatever is posted is de facto copyright, and the person whose
words you took could sue you for breach of copyright.

   Now let's shift to a MOO or IRC:
   You keep a log of a conversation.  Would the same rules/customs apply
if you wanted to include that log in a paper? 
   Does it matter if the conversation was held in a private room or in a
public place on the MOO?
   Does it matter whether the paper is written to fulfill a class
assignment or is intended for publication in a for-profit magazine?