What's The Proper Protocol For Information Usage??

[Amanda]

Hi All!

I am in the process of putting my informational resource site together, and I am just wondering one thing - actually one biggie for my site:

What is the standard protocol for using information and informational links form other sites? For example, I plan to use the following as part of my informational resources:

- Lots of important government, university, resource links

- Important articles of interest - in part and in whole

- General information - adapted and reworded to fit the context of my site.

- Links to free software and/or tools that are relevant

What are the rules - do I need to get permission from every source I plan to use - no matter how big or small?? Should these permissions be in writing, or is email notification good enough?

Thanks for your input!

Amanda Ayles
ebizSolutions!
ebizSolutions@go.com

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[Jaiem]

I'm not a lawyer, however it's my understanding that as long as you aren't charging for the information, if you just clearly sight the source of the info then it's OK.

If you're going to copy whole texts, articles etc from private sources (books, newspapers, other commercial sites etc) then you should also try to get the permission of the owner to use it. Government sources usually don't require prior permission.

[akashik]

Probably your best plan of action is to ask the author. In a lot of cases authors and artists will allow you to use their work as long as it's referenced with a link or something similar. Whether it's a legal requirement or not (which it is to ask before using any copyrighted work), the rules of common courtesy should always apply.

I know of many designers who spend a lot of time having to track down image thieves who seem to believe if it's on the net, it should be free

Now I know you're looking as using text, but from the point of view of the author it amounts to much the same thing. Just using it, and linking back without asking doesn't really cut it. You need that permission, and make sure you don't use anything you aren't permitted to use.

Reworded information is a bit grey. If you do the old highschool trick of copying some *almost* verbatim but changing a word here and there, you're in a way acknowledging you've pinched something and are trying to cover it up. If however, you've read up on a subject in general from different sources, then write your own article regarding the subject, then that's obviously going to be your own work. The upside to that is then you'll have the copyright to that as it's yours.

Linking to other sites is generally considered an ok thing to do. After all 99% of people appreciate the traffic a link can bring. The *big* no-no is to link to something that gets framed by your own site, making it look as if it's in some way a part of it. Either open the site in _parent, or if you don't want them to leave your site in _blank (a whole new window)

Linking to software is generally best done by linking to the page the software is on, allowing people to see the other site. Linking directly to the program itself from your own site is called 'leeching' and upsets people like nothing else.

Greg Moore