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on_my_own
04-28-2014, 09:20 PM
Can I post an article or blog I find online on my website that I think would relate to my customers? I just plan on summarizing the article/blog or writing a few sentences about it while providing a link to the full article. I've found too many mixed answers online so wanted to get everyone's input here. I want to have a page on my website that will provide useful articles/blogs, but not sure if this is possible because I'm afraid of any copyright rules. :confused:

Freelancier
04-29-2014, 09:32 AM
Start with an assumption: the person who wrote it or published it owns the copyright. You don't want to violate that.

Now there's a thing called "fair use". That's where you can summarize or take specific quotes from copyrighted material provided you identify the source of the material you're referencing.

For more, see this: U.S. Copyright Office - Fair Use (http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html)

Harold Mansfield
04-29-2014, 10:00 AM
Can I post an article or blog I find online on my website that I think would relate to my customers? I just plan on summarizing the article/blog or writing a few sentences about it while providing a link to the full article. I've found too many mixed answers online so wanted to get everyone's input here. I want to have a page on my website that will provide useful articles/blogs, but not sure if this is possible because I'm afraid of any copyright rules. :confused:

Generally yes, you can do it exactly that way. Your own summary or introduction and then link to the original for more. Or you can just "reblog" the article. Rewrite it using your own words and spin and reference the source of your information. It's done everyday. I'm sure you've seen lines like "According to Reuters..." , "According to c|net...", "According to Mashable..." .

However, you have to be careful with large publications and news agencies. If you reprint too much of the article, even with reference they'll come after you to take it down.
For best practices, unless press is submitted directly to you, use your own words and reference your sources.

Another way to share an article with your followers is on your social media profiles.

edthomason
07-05-2014, 10:43 AM
i've seen people doing it without permission but i would ask 1st. there are some who wouldn't want their info posted anywhere but their own site but many would be flattered by the offer.

Brian Altenhofel
07-05-2014, 02:18 PM
However, you have to be careful with large publications and news agencies. If you reprint too much of the article, even with reference they'll come after you to take it down.

Sometimes, it's not even them. Copyright trolls will come by, file a lawsuit, and try to force you to settle. They might have the right to do so assigned to them by the copyright holder, or they might just "sell" the settlement.

justlife
07-08-2014, 03:18 AM
Agree with edthomason. The best way is just to ask permission first :D Some may not be happy even you put link to their website.

vangogh
07-09-2014, 10:36 PM
It really depends on how much of the actual article you want to use on your site. You can't reprint the article in it's entirety without permission, unless it's licensed under something like creative commons. However you can definitely write your own words about the article and link to it. That's standard blog stuff.

Where it sometimes gets fuzzy is when you're republishing a part of the article, commenting on that part, and then republishing another part and commenting and so on. You can quote content from another site and comment on it or use it supplemental material for your original article. The fuzziness is in how much of the other article you republish.

If you're unsure, assume you can't republish the article in any part. As good as that article might be, there are plenty of others you can write. And you can always ask permission. Most people will be fine, even happy, with you commenting on something they wrote and then pointing your readers to it.

JayPack
07-17-2014, 08:01 AM
You don't have to plagiarize. If you modify it enough, that it cannot be directly assumed that it is from that other source (change the title, the writing style, etc...), then you should be fine. But just make sure that you make enough modifications. You have no clue how many online writers do this exact thing. It is a common tactic.

will.i.earn
10-02-2014, 11:51 PM
Hardly anyone is writing original articles anymore. The difference between blogs nowadays is mostly on the writing style of the blogger. If you don't want to spend time applying your own writing style to it, then just find a professional copywriter. Never lift more than 5% of the article.

vangogh
10-06-2014, 08:11 PM
Hardly anyone is writing original articles anymore

That's not true. I know I write 2 original articles for myself each week and sometimes I write others for different sites. That doesn't mean the articles won't talk about the same ideas that other articles do, but the articles are unique and original. The only people not writing original articles are the people who think they can shortcut their way to success. Everyone who's figured out that success takes hard work will write their own original content.

greatsuccess
10-07-2014, 01:01 PM
That's not true. I know I write 2 original articles for myself each week and sometimes I write others for different sites. That doesn't mean the articles won't talk about the same ideas that other articles do, but the articles are unique and original. The only people not writing original articles are the people who think they can shortcut their way to success. Everyone who's figured out that success takes hard work will write their own original content.

Hear Hear...lol... You are 100% correct. I still write my own articles as well and the hard work does pay off. Wishing you great success.

vangogh
10-08-2014, 07:35 PM
the hard work does pay off

Yep. I wish more people would get that and work for long term success instead of trying to shortcut their way to success, but I know that's not likely to happen anytime soon.

shrinkme
10-21-2014, 09:33 PM
I do reuse my own content quite a bit. But if somebody else uses my blog postings... I may not be too happy about it.

I prefer they only republish a portion and link to the original.

Adel Landman Steyn
01-27-2015, 03:10 AM
Another way to share an article with your followers is on your social media profiles.

Great advice.

Remember, for the most part, people like links. Links make the internet go round. You seem like an honest person with no intent to steal, otherwise you would not be asking here...
And what you want to provide here are truly, un-buyable organic links.

So, as long as your summary is really a summary / excerpt, I see no reason why anyone other than a "copyright troll" would complain.

Also, as another poster mentioned, there is a concept called fair use.

Here is a very quick tutorial on copyright (https://theconsideratespammer.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/quick-tutorial-copyright/), if you are interested.