[Foundation-l] Copyright issue with external links

[James Hare]

Let's send everyone involved in the argument on a trip to Hawaii.

On 1/12/07, John Barberio <barberio at lineone.net> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Over on Wikipedia, there's a significant group of editors who've decided
> that current copyright policy doesn't go far enought, and are rewriting
> the external linking guidelines to require 'copyright verification' and
> 'due care to verify copyright' on external links. This is because they
> feel we are risking threat of suit due to linking to the likes of YouTube.
>
> No, I'm not suggesting we should allow links to copyvio, it's clear that
> we shouldn't. But it's my understanding that the proposed changes would
> be poor ones to make for various reasons.
>
> Primarily because we don't have the resources to take 'due care' and
> 'verify copyright'. True copyright verification needing lawyers time and
> money, it's not something that's in our grasp at all.
>
> At the moment, copyright policy says not to 'knowingly and
> intentionally' link to violations of copyright. And I believe this is
> pretty much the best standard we can claim without introducing
> unattainable burdens.
>
> Additionally, my lay understanding of the legal implications is that
> claiming we can and do verify copyright status of external links may
> well open us up to liability rather than reduce it.
>
> I've tried to explain this in discussion, but the discussion has gotten
> a bit overheated. It appears no one is going to calm down over this
> until there's a clarification of copyright policy by the foundation.
>
> I hope this can be clarified by the foundation.
>
>    - John
>
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