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Can I use parts of entertainment articles and link to entertainment and other public websites without their permission?

Is it legal to use parts of an article from another website if I put a link on the text? I'd like to know for my gossip blog.

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Attorney answers (3)

Reputation Level 20
it depends on the use. Copying someone else's work, if it's protectible and you take enough of it and you're competing with them, may be copyright infringment, even if you source it properly with a hyperlink. Using a hyperlink to cite another source isn't itself infringement, and even "deep linking" to a site's internal page has been held not objectionable by at least one court, but something to be mindful of is whether the link misrepresents something about the website and strays into false advertising or defamation. Similarly, you have to be careful not to imply that the sources have endorsed or are affiliated with your site.

If you want to cite to these other articles to comment on them, rather than merely compiling them, then that changes the character of your use and makes your use protectible. Criticism is protected by the 1str Amendment.

But as with most legal questions, it depends on the details of what you plan to do. Using other people's work for your own benefit is often a close call, so you're best off consutling with an IP lawyer to fully disclose the nature of of your blog site to see how to stay within the confines of the law. You may also want general business advice about starting a web business and how to best structure it for maximum protection, including entity formation, liability insurance, website disclaimers, etc.

Disclaimer: Please note that this answer does not constitute legal advice, and should not be relied on, since each state has different laws, each situation is fact specific, and it is impossible to evaluate a legal problem without a comprehensive consultation and review of all the facts and documents at issue. This answer does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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Reputation Level 18
No. Even under my expansive approach to "fair use" your proposed use of literary works created by others does not come close to passing the fairness smell test. Especially when used to publish a gossip blog. Though there is NO value in gossip, researching and writing that dribble takes time, money, and creativity. You cannot simply take portions of that work product w/o compensating the authors. I see nothing "fair" (or worthwhile) in doing so.
1 person marked this answer as good

Reputation Level 6
It may be helpful to read the copyright notice and terms of service of the websites you want to use information from. Not a lot but some websites explicit give you the right to use their information if you properly cite them.

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