Questions tagged [internet]

For questions about the internet. Please ensure a tag for the jurisdiction is also included. This tag should not be used when the question does not crucially hinge on internet usage or involvement.

The internet has brought with it a number of novel rulings, particularly with regard to copyright.

  • In the United States of America, A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc., 239 F.3d 1004 (2001) was a ruling that found that the P2P service Napster, could be held vicariously and contributorily liable for copyright infringement, based on its ability to monitor and restrict access to copyrighted materials.

  • In Australia, Dallas Buyers Club LLC v iiNet Limited (No 3) [2015] FCA 422, the Federal Court held that a group of internet service providers should be compelled to produce the contact details for account holders who were alleged to have infringed copyright.

    This was done with the provision that the court would review these letters prior to their issuing, in order to avoid the speculative invoicing that has occurred in other countries.

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At what point is uploading a movie with heavy compression not copyright infringement?

My friend recently linked me a GIF of the entire Shrek movie in 60x60 resolution. At the time of writing this, it has 12 million views on imgur. This got me thinking, could a copyright holder technically sue over the uploading of this GIF? I'm…
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What legal liability does one's participation on Stack Exchange carry?

This question is motivated by a question which came up recently on engineering.SE: Cracks on the wall. It may be closed in the future so I will summarize. The user posted pictures of (very large) cracks in the wall of his house and asked the…
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Can a website incur liability for linking to a funding campaign for a lawsuit against it?

A large website that hosts user-created content has recently announced that it is redacting links to a fundraising campaign for a lawsuit against it "under direction from [its] legal team." Is there a theory of liability under which there is some…
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If a moderator of an online forum edits my post to say something illegal, how could I prove I didn't write the incriminating message?

Hypothetical situation. Several years ago, Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman caused some controversy by editing comments that criticized him. On most social media platforms, staff cannot edit users' messages without direct access to the…
Danny
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Will Florida Social Media Bill Allow Trump back Online?

Does the Florida Social Media Bill Allow Trump to Be Back on Twitter and Facebook? It prohibits internet companies from banning Politicians on social media. "SB 7072 also bars social media platforms from restricting “journalistic enterprises,” which…
user38006
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What is the legal basis of requiring permission before one can link to a webpage?

I came across the "Linking Terms" of OTC Markets Group Inc.'s website: PLEASE READ THESE LINKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS ("LINKING TERMS") BEFORE LINKING TO THIS WEB SITE. YOU MAY NOT LINK TO THIS WEBSITE UNLESS YOU ACCEPT AND COMPLY WITH THESE…
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Where can I report criminal intent found on the dark web?

I wasn't sure if I should ask this here or on the Tor site. I think it fits more here. I came across a Stack Exchange clone on the dark web. I won't go into too much detail or provide a link, but one question was someone requesting advice on how…
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Is downloading YouTube videos legal?

I've always been under the assumption that doing such was illegal. I don't see any difference between downloading music from YouTube and downloading music from The Pirate Bay. Apparently, there is this Software Recs SE question that talks precisely…
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In Europe, can I refuse to use Gsuite / Office365 at work?

See above. In a country where GDPR applies (Italy in my case), do I have the right to refuse giving consent to Google and Microsoft to store my personal data, if this account is for work use? Or, in other words, can my employer force me to make a…
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Are computer programs copyrightable work?

If the platform is not open-source, is the computer program copyrightable?
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How is internet archiving legal, when it appears to violate many websites terms of use?

Internet archiving services like the internet wayback machine work by rehosting content from other website. However, many websites in their term explicitly disallow people to frame their website or rehost their content. So my question is, how are…
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Do Twitter disclaimers saying "opinions are my own" give any legal protection to the account owner?

A larger number of twitter accounts have a biography stating that tweets are their own opinion not that of their company. An example: Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer Does this actually protect the employee from being…
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How would one comply with a court order to unpublish unlimitable information?

(If this has been asked, please deduplicate; I searched but couldn't find anything similar. Thanks!) This is wholly hypothetical, I hope. Let's have two people, "Alice" and "Bob". Alice publishes some data that, for whatever legal reason, they ought…
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Difference between lotteries and events that involve randomness?

A common marketing strategy is a 'Free giveaway', where 'one lucky person will be selected from (some group) to receive a free (thing)'. I was read that such arrangements can be deemed illegal lotteries. Yet, contradictorily, I also see major…
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Is it legal to use a VPN to buy things at a lower price?

I have seen VPN companies and their sponsees openly advertise the fact that VPNs can be used to change the apparent country you are connected from and pay lower rates for certain products and services, e.g., subscriptions on video streaming…
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