Re: Links to copyrighted mat

From: Martha Luehrmann <Martha_Luehrmann[_at_]macmail2.lbl.gov>
Date: 18 Sep 1996 14:14:54 -0700

On 9/18/96 Chris Carter asked if it would be possible, on copyright grounds, to keep someone from linking to a web site.

---

> This has probably been covered before, but I am rather new to this
> list. The question is: Are there any copyright implications of
> hyperlinking to copyrighted material? It seems that sites like
> CNET, have made this their business model, and I was curious if
> they linked with permission or not. And whether they paid any sort
> of licensing fees or not.
>
> I can understand how it would be in the best interest of the destination
> site to be linked to a site like CNET, it would increase the traffic
> to the site. However, if one wished to stop someone from linking to a
> copyrighted site without permission, are there grounds?
>
> Chris Carter
> The Tenagra Corporation
> ccarter[_at_]tenagra.com
> http://www.tenagra.com

My guess, Chris, is no. The situation you wrote of is not one where someone is copying material from a web site, which may certainly be a violation of copyright if it is not either done under a fair use or done with permission. If someone establishes a link to your web page, it is still YOU who is doing the publishing. They are not copying anything with or without your permission. They merely are offering a convenient way for people to reach your publications.

You could, of course, put any pages you want under password, so that no one can read them without having passed some membership or permission test, but that would exclude many of your regular readers as well as the people who have linked to your pages.

Martha Luehrmann
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
MRLuehrmann[_at_]LBL.gov Received on Wed Sep 18 1996 - 21:21:44 GMT