Is permission needed to link to another site?

[rnmcd]

I saw an article on Kiplinger's website that I would like to link to on my website. Do I need permission to link to it? I have tried to contact them but haven't been able to reach anyone that can answer.

 

[LtPage1]

no. just as long as youre only linking to it, and not copy-pasting and claiming its your own.

 

[SuRgEoN]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
no. just as long as youre only linking to it, and not copy-pasting and claiming its your own.

 

[Injury]

Linking, definately not. That's like requiring someone's permission to advertise for them. You are sending traffic to their site, why should they be complaining?

Now, if they don't like it and want to get back at you, they will change that link to certain pictures involving buttholes, but even that's a "stretch".... (pun intended. hah.)

 

[Quasmo]

Apparently its become a topic of conversation. Think of all the idiots suing Google because they "linked" to parts of their websites. Only because they were too loose with their security and they want to blame those who pointed it out.

 

[Trygve]

There have been lawsuits filed over the practice. My personal feeling is that you don't need permission and, so far, the courts seem to agree: "hyperlinking does not itself involve a violation of the Copyright Act (whatever it might do for other claims) since no copying is involved." (Judge Harry L. Hupp, Federal District Court). Nonetheless, there are still a lot of grey areas: everything from framing to the legal efficacy of contracts of adhesion on linking. You could check their "terms of usage" policy (if they have one); even if they had a clause in there which forbids linking to pages within their site, they probably would not prevail against you in court, but they'd be more likely to sue.

Desite all the foregoing, 99.999% of the time, there'll be no problem.