Copyright, Fair Use and Linking Images

[admin]

There are several issues involved in linking articles and images on any public forum of which posters should be aware.
  
Copyright and Fair Use  
  
Many people are quite protective of what they write, and how and where it is posted. They all interpret their copyright rights, and fair use quite differently. Usually, putting an extract of what someone else has written on a forum for comments, without getting the writer's permission, is considered fair use of that material as long as the website where the article originated and the writer are properly credited.    
  
Images and Bandwidth Usage  
  
When a picture is linked from another website, the users on this forum are automatically using the bandwidth of the other website to view the picture. Most websites object to this because it drives up their bandwidth usage, thus creating more expense for them.

Do not link photos on this forum from other websites unless you have permission from them to do so.
  
Many non-commercial websites would give permission to reproduce their photos. However, this takes time and effort, to first email them, then to wait for a response.