[Boot Hill]

Jim Robinson:   "These publishers have asked us not to allow any material at all to be posted to FR."

Mudboy Slim:   "Can they enforce that?"

FairOpinion:   "They can't dictate to us, not to use an excerpt or discuss their articles."

Certainly, those publishers can't be relying on the copyright laws for this. What's up with that, Jim?

--Boot Hill

[FairOpinion]

CHAPTER 9. Fair Use

Fair use is a copyright principle based on the belief that the public is entitled to freely use portions of copyrighted materials forpurposes of commentary and criticism. For example, if you wish to criticize a novelist, you should have the freedom to quote a portion of the novelist's work without asking permission. Absent this freedom, copyright owners could stifle any negative comments about their work.

Unfortunately, if the copyright owner disagrees with your fair use interpretation, the dispute will have to be resolved by courts or arbitration. If it's not a fair use, then you are infringing upon the rights of the copyright owner and may be liable for damages.

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/index.html

[Jim Robinson]

I decided I didn't want to spend the rest of my live in depositions and court hearings, etc. Not to mention the fact that I don't have the financial resources necessary to fight these people all the way to the supreme court anyway.