[mollymcn]

It's complicated, and while I'm not a lawyer, I'll try and explain what I've learned over the years in dealing with this issue online...

If you post a copyrighted work here for "educational or research purposes," it may be allowed under Fair Use. But we'd greatly prefer that whenever possible, you simply link to where you found the article online, because that is completely allowed and won't ever get us into trouble (whereas posting copyrighted works here may).

Thanks,
DocJohn

Hmm - I AM a copyright lawyer, and also a former health law professor. I am a big advocate of disseminating medical information to patients, and internet boards are the primary way of doing so because doctors are no longer the first source of information about health and illness.(sorry Doc!) What you said about #1 and #2 is exactly right ... HOWEVER in regards to your paragraph about posting copyrighted works While I would not want to get Neurotalk "in trouble," I would argue vigorously that attaching a PDF article (as I just did in the RSD community) falls under Fair Use because it is purely for educational use for sick people in a nonprofit noncommercial setting .