Can we rewrite & use information from answers.com, yahoo answers, ehow etc.

Hi,

I have started a new website related to articles, information and how tos. My question is:

Can we take content ideas and use information from answers.com, yahoo answers, blurtit, ehow and other such sites on our own websites. I mean can I take an idea from there and then rewrite their articles & Information and post them on my website?

Please give your suggestions.

Thanks
momi

 

why not. as long as it don't look as ifyoure copying then it good.

 

sure, why not.

Just so you know that I am not an atty, and I could care less if you go to jail or get sued.

 

And should I need to insert a backlink to them in such articles?? And should it be dofollow??

 

You can't use someone else's content unless they give you permission to.

 

As long as you have permission from answers.com, yahoo answers, ehow etc then it is fine..... I suspect they won't give it.

 

As long as you're not directly directly copying the article it's not illegal.

 

Yes you can without a problem.

 

Although it may seem like quibbling, you can use someone's content whether or not that person consents. What you cannot do is copy the content. Copyright law does not protect the ideas behind the content, only the way the author chose to present those ideas.

So if you get an idea from a Yahoo! Answers question and select an answer, and then express both the question and answer in your own words, you are fine. Even if the author did research and analysis leading to his answer, you can use his research and analysis. If you copy the question or answer, even making a few minor changes, then you are infringing the author's copyright.

 

not strictly true. Many countries have the concept of 'derivative work'. Search for it on Google if you want to understand the topic better.

 

if u want to directly copy paste - u might have to use quotations and provide source.
if u want to paraphrase it - ie rewrite in ur own words than u dont have to provide source

 

That is NOT correct. You are NOT free to use copyrighted material simply by attributing material to the original source.

There is a concept known as "fair use" that allows you to use portions of the material, such as in a review, where you would need to credit the source, but fair use doesn't allow you to copy the whole thing and use it simply by citing the original source.

 

Oh...Can I take idea from someone else's content and write it in my own words without citing the source??

 

As long as you rewrite them, you should be fine, but i don't understand why would you want to do it, except for ehow, none of the above mentioned sites provide much information. You could take ideas from there and then do it the old school way i.e. go on google and search about it there. Since, it's your own site, it becomes all the more important that you give quality and not look for shortcuts.

 

If you take an answer like "Digitalpoint forums are the best. Its a nice community, lots of activity and you can learn some cool tricks"
To
"Digital has nice forum. Lots of nice people, and you can even learn a few things"

You wouldn't be doing nothing wrong, but if you copied it exactly or close to exactly, it would be illegal.

 

that about sums it up. the reason yahoo answers etc gets scraped so much is that technically, the copyright doesn't belong to yahoo. It belongs to the answer writer. And you're pretty unlikely to be sued by an individual over a 50 word sentence. Having said that, as the poster above so eloquently put it, I'm no atty, and could care less whether you get sued.

 

of course you can re-write the content.

yahoo is even offering an API for searching their huge database of questions and answers.

 

Hi.

Generally, I think as long as you aren't copying it word for word then you are probably ok. But to be on the safe side, have a look at the definition for plagiarism

1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.
2. something used and represented in this manner.

* Obtained from: http://dictionary.reference.com/

Just research a few different sites offering the same info..........afterall, the hardest thing will be for them to prove that you have copied their work!