Am I allowed to quote texts from other websites on my own website?
March 7, 2022 | 45,00 EUR | answered by Otto Schäfer
Dear lawyer,
I operate a website where I report on various topics and share information. Lately, I have come across foreign texts that I would like to quote in order to support my arguments or provide additional information to my readers. However, I am unsure if I can do so without risking legal consequences.
At the moment, I am undecided about whether to use the foreign texts, as I am not certain if I would be violating copyright laws by doing so. I want to avoid being held accountable for copyright infringement or receiving a warning. At the same time, I want to present high-quality content on my website and provide added value to my readers.
Therefore, my question to you is: Can I quote foreign texts on my website without infringing copyright laws? Are there specific rules or guidelines that I need to follow to ensure that I am acting legally? What possible solutions are there to ensure that I do not take any risks when quoting foreign texts?
I thank you in advance for your support and look forward to your expert advice.
Yours sincerely,
Dora Schaaf
Dear Mrs. Schaaf,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the use of third-party texts on your website. Copyright is an important topic, especially in internet and computer law. It is understandable that you feel unsure and want to avoid legal consequences. Therefore, I will explain in detail what you need to consider in order to safely and legally quote third-party texts on your website.
In general, quoting third-party texts is allowed as long as you comply with the rules of copyright. This means that you cannot simply copy and pass off the third-party texts as your own. Instead, you must clearly indicate that it is a quote and provide the source. Ideally, you should also mention the author of the text and link to the original source.
However, there are certain limits to quoting third-party texts that you should be aware of. You should not quote too long passages of text, as this could be seen as plagiarism. Instead, limit yourself to short quotes embedded in your own text. It is also important that you only quote from published texts and do not use confidential or unlawfully obtained information.
To ensure that you do not commit copyright infringement, I recommend obtaining permission before using third-party texts. Contact the author or the copyright holder and ask for permission to quote the text. Alternatively, you can use texts that are under a Creative Commons license and therefore marked for free use.
Additionally, I recommend clearly outlining in the terms and conditions of your website how you deal with third-party texts and what rules apply to quoting. This creates transparency and prevents misunderstandings. In the event of a warning, you should also respond immediately and, if necessary, remove the text from your website to avoid further legal consequences.
I hope this information helps you and answers your question comprehensively. If you need further legal assistance, I am happy to help. Thank you for your trust and I wish you continued success with your website.
Sincerely,
Otto Schäfer
Attorney specializing in internet and computer law
