Can I link what ever I want to my website???

Question

I want to add links to my website from the U. S. Senate website. This is my first time building a website, can I just link whatever I want from wherever I want???

Answer 1

You can provide links on your website to any other website you wish, you are under no obligation to obtain permission from the site you are linking to.

Answer 2

If you do not benefit financially from the links you post from other sites and you do not prevent the owner of the linked to site from benefiting financially you are generally covered by “Fair Use” copyright laws.  I cannot say for certain how linking to a government site can impact you but the webmaster to the US Sentate’s Website can be emailed at [e-mail].  They may be better equipped to answer specific questions related to linking to their web content.  

Additionally, you need to use caution when linking to videos or images as they are generally the property of the creator and by default are protected by copyright laws.   Deep linking is also an issue that has come up in recent years where a webpage makes a link to a specific page or image, or other content on another website.   Arguably deep linking to a webpage prevents the website from being viewed the way the owner intends.

The below links may provide helpful information but rules behind intellectual property protection over the internet are sometimes vague and new unanticipated issues arise all the time.  When in doubt it is best to seek the permission of the owner of the website's content.

US Sentate:

http://www.senate.gov

*A link to their privacy policy is available at the bottom of their home page.

US Copyright Office

http://www.copyright.gov/

US Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov

Disclaimer:  The content of this posting is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as legal advice.  If you have specific legal questions or concerns it is advisable to seek the counsel of an attorney.