dnewton3
Staff member
Copyright protections will be observed and obeyed to the best of our limited abilities here on BITOG. If you see a suspected infringement, please "report" the possible violation and allow the Staff here to review it.
First and foremost, for anyone who wants to post linked materials of any nature here on BITOG, it is that member's responsibility to make a reasonable effort to research any potential copyright protections for any and all materials, prior to posting. If copyright protections exist, and you still want to post the materials, you must comply with the copyright license conditions. For each material item that is/was copyright protected, we require you to post proof from that licensing entity assuring you are not in violation of the copyright, along with the material itself.
It is important to understand that there is a "Fair Use" law that allows for direct copy/paste of copyrighted materials ONLY UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES. (See USC Title 17 s/s 107). When a member includes protected information or does a copy/paste of copyrighted material(s), you must make a reasonable effort to qualify for one of the exemptions as stated in the Fair Use law. We require you to add your own (personal) substantial comments and meaningful discussion when posting linked or copied protected material(s). If you do not do so, your thread or post may be modified, deleted or quarantined in our effort to respect copyright protections and/or enforce our linked material policy.
We are not lawyers here on BITOG, so it is perhaps best if we direct you to the official Government web addresses:
Do not just drop an image, a link to an article, study or video, or copy/paste information, and then run away; that lacks any reasonable effort to respect the Fair Use exemption and our policy for substantive comment. Further, it is unacceptable to simply post a short quip; that is NOT substantial and meaningful discussion and does not meet the standard for exemption or our policy regarding contribution. You must make a concerted effort to say something detailed in a manner of criticism, education, opinion, etc.
examples of acceptable efforts to comply with the Fair Use standard:
- "I like this article because it reveals the nature of how the tribochemical barrier is formed. I learned that this happens when ..."
- "This demonstrates why Mr. X was incorrect in his assumptions for the nature of the failure. This is clear in the photos because you can see ..."
- "This video helped me repair my Chevy because you can see where the bolt fits into the hole behind the alternator. See the video at minute 1:23. This helps greatly because I was unable to find the hidden hole; this video helped me get the right angle for bolt installation ..."
examples of unacceptable efforts to comply with the Fair Use standard:
- "This is cool."
- "What an idiot."
- "I didn't know this."
- (saying nothing whatsoever)
When you start with substantial, meaningful dialog which induces discussion relative to the copyright material, you thereby initiate critique, education, commentary, etcetera and therefore qualify for the Fair Use exemption, and comply with our SoC policy. If you do not make such efforts, you may violate copyright law, and are violating our policy, and so your post or thread will be dealt with accordingly to the best of our limited ability.
NOTE1: it is acceptable to post a link as a response to a question which is limited enough in scope that the link itself provides the essential answer/explanation when taken from an open public format. For example, if someone asks a question about a product and the product web page itself has the answer; that information which is gleaned from a publicly available format is not a policy violation.
NOTE2: Avatars cannot have copyright protected images.
Remember ...
Before you post linked material(s), it is your responsibility to research the material(s) and assure you are able to legally post it in a public format.
It is not BITOG's job to do your homework for you. If we believe your thread or post is in violation, it will be removed and you will be formally warned.
First and foremost, for anyone who wants to post linked materials of any nature here on BITOG, it is that member's responsibility to make a reasonable effort to research any potential copyright protections for any and all materials, prior to posting. If copyright protections exist, and you still want to post the materials, you must comply with the copyright license conditions. For each material item that is/was copyright protected, we require you to post proof from that licensing entity assuring you are not in violation of the copyright, along with the material itself.
It is important to understand that there is a "Fair Use" law that allows for direct copy/paste of copyrighted materials ONLY UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES. (See USC Title 17 s/s 107). When a member includes protected information or does a copy/paste of copyrighted material(s), you must make a reasonable effort to qualify for one of the exemptions as stated in the Fair Use law. We require you to add your own (personal) substantial comments and meaningful discussion when posting linked or copied protected material(s). If you do not do so, your thread or post may be modified, deleted or quarantined in our effort to respect copyright protections and/or enforce our linked material policy.
We are not lawyers here on BITOG, so it is perhaps best if we direct you to the official Government web addresses:
U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index
The goal of the Index is to make the principles and application of fair use more accessible and understandable to the public by presenting a searchable database of court opinions, including by category and type of use (e.g., music, internet/digitization, parody).
www.copyright.gov
Copyright Law of the United States | U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright Law of the United States
www.copyright.gov
Do not just drop an image, a link to an article, study or video, or copy/paste information, and then run away; that lacks any reasonable effort to respect the Fair Use exemption and our policy for substantive comment. Further, it is unacceptable to simply post a short quip; that is NOT substantial and meaningful discussion and does not meet the standard for exemption or our policy regarding contribution. You must make a concerted effort to say something detailed in a manner of criticism, education, opinion, etc.
examples of acceptable efforts to comply with the Fair Use standard:
- "I like this article because it reveals the nature of how the tribochemical barrier is formed. I learned that this happens when ..."
- "This demonstrates why Mr. X was incorrect in his assumptions for the nature of the failure. This is clear in the photos because you can see ..."
- "This video helped me repair my Chevy because you can see where the bolt fits into the hole behind the alternator. See the video at minute 1:23. This helps greatly because I was unable to find the hidden hole; this video helped me get the right angle for bolt installation ..."
examples of unacceptable efforts to comply with the Fair Use standard:
- "This is cool."
- "What an idiot."
- "I didn't know this."
- (saying nothing whatsoever)
When you start with substantial, meaningful dialog which induces discussion relative to the copyright material, you thereby initiate critique, education, commentary, etcetera and therefore qualify for the Fair Use exemption, and comply with our SoC policy. If you do not make such efforts, you may violate copyright law, and are violating our policy, and so your post or thread will be dealt with accordingly to the best of our limited ability.
NOTE1: it is acceptable to post a link as a response to a question which is limited enough in scope that the link itself provides the essential answer/explanation when taken from an open public format. For example, if someone asks a question about a product and the product web page itself has the answer; that information which is gleaned from a publicly available format is not a policy violation.
NOTE2: Avatars cannot have copyright protected images.
Remember ...
Before you post linked material(s), it is your responsibility to research the material(s) and assure you are able to legally post it in a public format.
It is not BITOG's job to do your homework for you. If we believe your thread or post is in violation, it will be removed and you will be formally warned.
Last edited: