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The use of someone else's article

by Coyotex
9 replies
Maybe this has been answered before, but I couldn't find it, so I'll ask it now.

I know people talk about having "guest authors" on their blog and such. I do the same sometimes, so I understand that.

But, what if I find someone's article(s) that I really love and a good fit for one of my blogs. If I cannot contact the person, for whatever reason, would it still be alright to use their article on my blog as long as I provide all the proper information about that author?

For example, could I cut/paste their article from ezinearticles as long as I use all the details about the author from that article? (including their links in their resource box)

I would assume it's ok because that has been done with me, but I'm wanting to get feedback from others who may have much more experience than me about this.
#article
  • Profile picture of the author Trivum
    With a place like ezinearticles, yes. That's what it's about. But not simply if you find their article somewhere else.
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  • Profile picture of the author erichammer
    As long as explicit permission is offered (as it is at Ezine Articles) then yes, you can do it without a problem. That's why Ezine exists. Whether Google will like it, given that it's duplicate content is another question entirely. . .and of course, if you see it on someone's blog then you can't just assume it's okay to use their stuff...
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    • Profile picture of the author Trent Brownrigg
      Yes, if you find it in an article directory (such as EZA) then typically it is ok to use as long as you give proper credit to the author (with a live link).

      If you find it on someones blog/site then usually it will not be ok to use.

      Of course, these aren't global rules that apply to every situation but typically that is the case.
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  • Profile picture of the author TracyNeedham
    If it's on an article directory site, I'd say that's fine to do. Most likely, that's why they put it up there (although occasionally people seem shocked when this happens LOL).

    If it's on their own blog, have a (c) instead of a creative commons license and don't have a statement about being able to use their articles, you might be better off just posting a comment about the article and linking to it if you can't get in touch with the person.

    Of course, this is assuming you're talking another individual or company's website and not a media site (newspaper, TV etc).
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Coyotex View Post

    For example, could I cut/paste their article from ezinearticles as long as I use all the details about the author from that article? (including their links in their resource box)
    Yes, you can absolutely take it from an article directory (provided you include their resource-box and links) and use it on your own site. And they're "consenting" to that by listing it in an article directory (and they ought to be pleased, anyway, to get the backlink and maybe some traffic out of it).

    That applies to article directories, though, not to Web 2.0 sites like Squidoo and HubPages, and not to other, non-directory "article sites" like Suite101 and InfoBarrel.

    If in doubt, though, the terms of service of the site ought to clarify it.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Curtis
    Yes, you should NOT post it even if you give proper attribution where you don't have implied permission (such as at some of the article sites).

    As far as duplicate content goes...

    Here is a better way of doing it. Write a post on WHY this is such as good read
    and your opinion on it. It can be very short, but contain the main keywords, etc.

    Then link to it (open in new window). That will solve both problems.

    Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author Coby
    When I find a good article on EZA that fits into one of my niche sites (I don't do this with IM) I will use the article with the correct credit given, but I do a little extra to help with duplicate content, help with keyword density, and help keep the visitor on my site rather than chasing the author's link to their site.

    I will find the article and read it thoroughly. I then do a short 100 to 200 word introduction to the article telling a little about it and who wrote it (this is great chance to improve keyword density too) then I present the article and then I add a conclusion/summary in the same manner and I always mention that the author's link is above if they want to read more from them then add "or to read more about "my niche" visit the "niche" categories now...

    I make the intro/conclusion bold and in italics to separate it from the original article. I picked up this tip from another Warrior's post several months ago.

    Hope this helps
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  • Profile picture of the author Coyotex
    WOW! You guys are great! Thank you all. Oh, and for what it's worth, I've been writing articles (if that's what you want to cal it) for several years and have had not much success. Since I started actually listening to and taking the info from the Warriors, my results have been MUCH improved! Thank you all!
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  • Profile picture of the author RichardBravo
    .
    Another route to go, if you really like the author's work, is to contact them directly.
    There's nothing like good old fashioned networking.

    You have an opportunity to strike a relationship with the author that will have far
    greater long term value than a simple copy/paste job from EZA.

    Cheers!
    ~RB
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