Ok so I launch a new forum. I get content from blogs, search engines etc. Now what I do is copy the text from the main source and put in my forum but I also put the source at the end. Ex:http://www.ippilots.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17 Is this legal? Can I have the same text of the copyrighted content in the subject/message of the topic?
Unless the sources you are copying from explicitly state you can use their material then you are infringing on their copyright. It doesn't matter if you link back to them or not. Many press releases do allow you to copy them, such as PRweb.com (http://www.prweb.com/), so that can be a good source of content. Blogs and web sites, not so much.
Thanks for the reply. So if the content is from an online news channel then does that mean its part of a press release? Can I use that content cause more or less all the content I get is from news channels. With blogs and websites I do not directly link to the blog/website but search for the actual source of a particular topic and then link to the original source. Again most of the source is from news channels. As of now I have'nt seen any source stating explicitly that I can use their content.
News channels carry articles that are not freely distributable - the copyright is held by either the reporter or the news source. Did you look at PRWeb (http://www.prweb.com)? They do in fact explicitly state that you can copy the press releases, as long as you link back to them.
Ok, thank you. Apart from prweb.com I don't see any other news websites stating that the material can be copied. So this means I cannot use the content with a link :-( Edit: Alright, what if I just put the link and do not copy any of the content. Just some text written by me and then I place a link direct to the content. Ex: http://www.ippilots.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28 Is this okay?
Most of the authority sites will have a clause where they state if anyone is allowed to copy the content or not. If they are allowed, they also state what needs to be retained. If you follow all the guidelines, then it will not be an issue . ~G
I can't see how that could be a problem. You can do anything with your own words and there isn't anything wrong with linking to someone else.
The first method would definitely be copyright infringement and the copyright holders will definitely not be pleased, even if you include a source link. Including a link to the source doesn't negate the copyright infringement. The second method would be fine if you write your own paragraph e.g. : "Look at this great site describing the 10 differences between widgets and doo-dads. It's really informative... Source: thefictionalsite.com"
You should also be safe with news feeds, as it's the source itself that is sending out the information (though often only partially). If you are using vBulletin I can help talk you through the instructions on how to set it up in your ACP to have feeds directly posted to your forum. RE: The 2nd method: On thing that works with feeds is having them posted in your own name, and then placed in a QUEUE for your own review. Then rather then simply OKing the thread, you can edit it into your own words. This at least may save you a step (by adding a few others).