Will MetaFilter soon be illegal?

April 10, 2002 7:34 PM

Will MetaFilter soon be illegal? (or more likely Fark.COM)? The Ninth Circuit Count ruled in February that linking to copyrighted material was illegal. The actual ruling was that inline linking or framing of content (like Google Image Search) infringes on the public display rights for copyrighted material.
(more inside)
posted by patrickje to MetaFilter-Related at 7:34 PM (13 comments total)

I mentioned Fark.com because Fark is always inlining images into the comments section. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed an Amicus Curiae brief to ask the court to reconsider its decision. I'm actually conflicted about this decision. I can see why an artist would not want someone direct linking to his images. Although I know that most webservers (IIS, Apache) can specifically forbid image linking.
posted by patrickje at 7:40 PM on April 10, 2002

if metafilter becomes illegal, we should all prepare for the ever-deadly self links.
posted by Kafei at 7:44 PM on April 10, 2002

To sum up

- Displaying a thumbnail for indexing purposes: fair use
- Displaying a full size image directly: copyright infringement where market harm is caused
- Metafilter and Fark: In no danger
- The sky: Not falling

Seems reasonable to me.
posted by euphorb at 8:38 PM on April 10, 2002

Also, the 9th Circuit doesn't cover NYC, where the MeFi box is, so screw 'em.
posted by aaron at 9:07 PM on April 10, 2002

Great!
posted by yhbc at 9:16 PM on April 10, 2002

I thought the MeFi box was in the Bay Area... Has it moved or am I delusional?
posted by evanizer at 9:17 PM on April 10, 2002

Your delusional evan.
posted by bjgeiger at 9:28 PM on April 10, 2002

evanizer,

Matt is on the west cost, the server is in NY hosted by Jason.
posted by skallas at 10:51 PM on April 10, 2002

And if you're nice, we'll even show you a picture of it.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:05 AM on April 11, 2002

No! He's an artist. He'd find it, set it on fire, throw a can of paint on it, and display the charred remains as "Community Weblog #4".
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:53 AM on April 11, 2002

that's rather promising miguel -- perhaps you should start writing grants?
posted by fishfucker at 12:12 PM on April 11, 2002

when linking is outlawed, only outlaws will...

forget it.
posted by jcterminal at 8:03 PM on April 11, 2002

I guess instead of hyperlinks, we'll have to play hotter colder or fifty questions. I'd love to tell you where I read that. I have it in another window right now. Anybody wanna take a guess? Of course I can't actually tell you where it is once you do figure it out but it will be fun trying. Mooo.
posted by crasspastor at 10:32 PM on April 11, 2002