Posting Links to Other Sites

[OldFatGuy]

We (the forum staff and members) often post links to content found elsewhere on the web.  When this content is copyrighted, it falls under the "fair use" doctrine.  Freely stated, this means that you are not allowed to simply copy the entire text of an article, review, etc., and paste it into a post on our forum.  We recommend that you copy only the first paragraph of the text and provide a link to the source.  (An example can be found at http://celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=12456.0.)

But "fair use" is very poorly defined in law, and different courts judge cases differently.  An excellent article, published today by WebProNews, will give you some idea of the vagaries involved.  Please read this and draw your own conclusions.  But keep one thing in mind; we - Lindsey and I - are directly and personally responsible for everything posted on this forum.  A copyright infringement suit could be brought against us if someone were to charge that something posted here had violated the fair use rules.  Even if we were to ultimately win the case, it would cost us a great deal of time and money, and probably result in shutting down the forum.

We take copyright law very seriously, and we've edited or deleted a number of posts that "pushed the envelope."  We will continue to be vigilant, and ask for your help and understanding.  Thanks.

Rich and Lindsey

[Emily!]

In my first year of law school we did a brief in our writing/research class and it was a copyright case. Very, very complicated stuff.

Thanks, Rich and Lindsey.

Also, thanks for the reminder to enroll in Copyrights/Trademark next year before I graduate, LOL.

[howard]

   Thinking carefully for some time now about copyright laws, I realize copyright laws can be confusing.  Basically it's a protection granted for a specified period of time.  However, if a venue says no recordings or pictures allowed that's policy confusion and copyright laws do not exist.
   I would safely say most venues do not allow recordings/pictures taken without prior permission.  Case in point, I have been in touch with Carnegie Hall they told me that they do not allow recordings/pictures be taken from their audience without permission first.  The have warning signs posted about this throughout their venue.  Copyright laws or not that's their policy and if they want they can prosecute any offender.
   I would think that CWF would want to protect the performers, (CW & others), as well as the venues from such illegal acts by not allowing such posts on the forum.
   We do not know if the performers have any plans to use the performance on a cd/dvd or at that matter whether the venue has any plans, (in agreement with the performers), to put the performance as well on a cd/dvd for a fund raising event.
   By allowing illegal posts on this forum CWF is condoing such actions.
   I really feel CWF should review all posts expecially from Youtube and remove them, like any videos from the obvious cell-phones is a good start, i.e. http://www.celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=13040.0
   And thinking about it, I believe I could have been an offender of a few Youtube posts and I advocate their removal as well.
   One last thought, if someone jumps off a cliff would you follow...so just because someone post from another site something that's illegal that does not mean it should be allowed on CWF.
   CWF should be a defender and not a condoner of such illegal acts.

Howard
 

[aislin]

howard,

When it comes to YouTube the argument for or against copyright is dealt with between YouTube and whatever company holds that copyright. EMI and CW Ltd. have never had a problem or gone after YouTube for posting CW concert or DVD material. We've asked CW Ltd. in the past and they have no problems with such videos being posted on the forum, though we didn't allow live concert recordings on the forum this tour for our own reasons. If you think about it from a marketing standpoint it makes sense, the live concerts are nothing like the tour DVDs and if people knew that CW might sell more tickets to people wanting to see something different than what they get on the DVDs. So by allowing YouTube to host such videos it's actually a good thing for the show.

Our official YouTube policy can be found here: http://celticwomanforum.com/index.php?topic=1539.0.

aislin