ATSNN Copyright Issues

ARe there legal copyright issues concerning hotlinking images, specifically in ATSNN articles, but also in ATS? I am aware that in the T&C members are encouraged to include the link to the original site, but is that enough to avoid potential copyright infringement? Particularly when many sites have disclaimers such as this:

"All rights reserved. 2005 XXXX International. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by XXXX International. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of XXXX International."

A response from the staff would be appreciated for this one. I wish to make sure that I, and other members, are not putting ATS at risk of prosecution.

Thanks in advance.

The spirit of copyright law is to protect profits and prevent plagiarism. As long as you source the quote, don't make any money from redistribution of the quote, and respond in a timely fashion to requests to remove the quote, there is really no legal issue.

usinfo.state.gov...

COPYRIGHT [copyright]. An exclusive right conferred by the government on the creator of a work to exclude others from reproducing it, adapting it, distributing it to the public, performing it in public, or displaying it in public. Copyright does not protect an abstract idea; it protects only the concrete expression of an idea. To be valid, a copyrighted work must have originality and some modicum of creativity.

If one follows the guidelines posted, all submissions should fall within the bounds of fair use. Providing a citation and a link should satisfy all requirements.

This may prove to be interesting?
Intellectual Property and The Internet: AP Broadcast Tries to Corral the New, Wild Wild West

IP Becomes Serious Issue for AP as Legal Team Tracks Copyright Infractions

seekerof

When the posting guidelines are properly followed the news article forms the basis for some kind of analyis, regardless of how short. Quoting and citing is a recognized part of good writing and so far, I'm certain, copyright laws protect that practice. Academics like to see their work cited in professional journals, so I think that if we are careful to remain within the site guidelines there shouldn't be a problem, unless the AP decides to challenge the laws in court. Perhaps, we should all be careful not to quote too much.

[edit on 05/3/14 by GradyPhilpott]

I don't think the problem is with quoting, GP, although the article on Seeker's link does mention that as well. Rather I feel the major issue is with images (video is not a consideration for ATS). Images from AP and Reuters in particular are often hotlinked in ATSNN.

With the apparent increased focus and crackdown on intellectual property protection, albeit so-far mainly in regards to file-sharing, this is an issue that ATS may have to review.

UK Technical Advisory Service for Images
Qn: We were unable to trace an image's creator, are we able to use the image before permission has been granted?

If possible try to find an alternative image, which you can obtain permission to use. Otherwise, if you have to use an image without the author's permission you should record your attempts to locate the owner as a copyright diligence file. This serves more as a legal defence rather than an alternative to actual permission.