Is it illegal to put a link to a different website from your website without their express permission


Answers:
I'm no lawyer, but I highly doubt that this is illegal.
In fact, almost any webmaster loves it when people link to their websites. In fact many have pages requesting that people do so.

(See the related link for an example)
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Unless the site expressly prohibits this on their website, you may link. If it is not written out on their site, the only way you would be civilly liable (not illegal as in a criminal case!) would be where the site is a business site or an ISP and they have some agreement with you and it was prohibited in their contract with you. And even if they sue, they would have to show actual damages to collect anything...
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Not the links that we all think of. BUT you can't display a picture by referring to a picture on somebody else's server without permission.

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The current status of copyright law as it pertains to just this sort of internet-related stuff is one of the most debated, unsettled, and important areas of intellectual property practice right now. There are tons of info out there about all of this, but it boils down to the test of CIVIL liability for infringement of copyright, which takes into account basically a four tiered analysis- without getting way, way into the technical test the court will apply. If the balance of the use of the link falls under what's called "fair use"- meaning the poster had no intention of and did not in fact make MONEY off the use of the link, and especially if the linking was complimentary or informational or even beneficial overall to the linked guy, no harm no foul. CRIMINAL liability for this sort of thing is not yet established under federal copyright laws, but just recently criminal penalties have been attached to "stealing" music, or art, or plagiarizing (passing off as yours someone else's work)- if the use is "not fair" (based on the 1st amendment's protections to share info with others educationally, and if it is proven to be for proprietary gain). Until recently the only remedy an aggrieved person had for such "theft" and profiteering by others was a CIVIL remedy- to sue for money damages. Fair use today, however, on the internet specifically has proven to be quite broadly applied- that's why we can upload pics as long as their source is credited and no money is made off of them, etc. But we all pretty much know the out-and-out theft of music (which clearly deprives the artists of their royalties) takes the excuse of fair use just too far. Folks grabbing someone's work product for their own pleasure with no educational or societal benefit at all, and simply not paying for it, is very different from using an illustration, properly accredited, on a community blog.
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Even if it was illegal, few would prosecute. (Who turns down free advertising?)
The exception might be if it was listed as "WORST SITE IN THE WORLD" - but again, it's all free advertising!
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Links are essentially free marketing and all companies love them and want more because it helps get ranked higher in search engines and brings in more traffic to their websites. Send out the link juice... it's what keeps the internet moving along.

(see related links below)

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As a website owner myself I can say that there are many sites that do offer free links to their sites. It is as one person mentioned a means of advertising; however, most sites prefer to have the links from sites that are related in content but not in direct competition with them.
You will find that the more popular sites will have more restrictions as they may not necessary crave traffic as the newer sites do.

As one person said unless you are being put on the 'worst site of the year' list, most may not mind- then again, it may be a good thing to make that list. It would sure generate traffic- it's up to you to turn that traffic into a sale.

Some linking can actually benefit you monetarily too if you sign up and are accepted as an affiliate of theirs, you could stand to earn a commission on any click that leads to a sale.

Answer
Its ok as far as you are putting the link, because it is not harmful for that particular website. But never copy the content of another website on yours.

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