[RawAlex]

Written word is no different from any other created content: The author (or the rights holder) owns the rights unless they have specifically released it into that good old "public domain". If you write a book, you own the rights to the book and you can control how it is used.

HOWEVER... there are plenty of exceptions to any rule. Fair use, the quoting of some of an article to report on the article itself, or to make a point while giving attribution (I am sure you did this in University, right?) . There are tons of other little exceptions.

For chat boards like this, nobody has made case law yet that I know of. Basically, if an article is published in, say, USA TOday, can some or all of it be posted "between friends" as part of a discussion? Does USA Today lose money because we wouldn't read it? Does it give them a boost? Nobody has gone there.

As for erotic stories, those are all copyrighted material to the original author. Most of them have released them for "non commercial use", which means in theory you cannot use them in a membership site or on a page with advertising (aka, commercial benefit). Many of the authors of these things are mega-agressive about protecting their work and they will hassle you endlessly if they find their stuff on a site you own.

In other words, don't do it.

There is no "presumed public domain" - either you can prove it is, or it isn't. No presumptions allowed.