General Question

dumitus's avatar

Would it be illegal if I made profit by translating some one else's blog?

Asked by dumitus (657points) May 26th, 2015

and by posting in my own blog-of course stating where the source is- and putting ads in my blog?
Because I see some great stuff on the internet and I think it’s not fair to let it be there only for those who speak English.
And of course, it doesn’t hurt to earn some profit by doing that.
But as the original source of information is not from me, I wonder how this will sound to those in Fluther. Thanks!!

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7 Answers

Earthbound_Misfit's avatar

I would say it would depend on how much content you copy and whether you do acknowledge the original source correctly. If it was a small amount and you acknowledge the source, you might be fine. I think how much is considered fair use would depend on the copyright laws where you are. It would be illegal to copy a whole blog into your own. That would breach copyright legislation.

SavoirFaire's avatar

Unless you have explicit permission from the original creator, it is illegal to simply copy and translate someone else’s blog. The blog is their intellectual property under international law, so anyone who lives in a country that abides by international law puts themselves at risk by violating another person’s copyright. That said, a lot of people would be perfectly happy to allow someone else to translate their work. As such, there is nothing to lose by asking.

Do note, however, that some internet browsers have built in translators. This means that the information is not necessarily as isolated as you think.

JLeslie's avatar

I think if you get pemission it’s fine. Probably many people will give you permission if you ask. I’m not sure if they will pay you? Maybe if you market yourself as a translator to people who blog you might get some takers. Do you have credentials or certifications for translating?

The other option is to do it for free with permission and hope your website gets enough traffic that companies will pay to advertise on your site. That usually takes a long time to do though, and might never happen.

marinelife's avatar

The owners of the blog own the intellectual property contained in it. Using it without permission is violating their copyright.

However, some might not mind reaching a wider audience. You could ask permission to translate their work, but you would have to note where the content originally came from. If you had permission, it would be OK to profit from it (assuming the authors would not want a split).

snowberry's avatar

You might have to prove to the owner of the blog that you are adept at translating. If he really likes it, perhaps he could offer a link to your site on his blog, or if you find you work well together, perhaps you could work together somehow and both profit.

dappled_leaves's avatar

You need to ask the permission of the owner of the site you are taking it from. Otherwise, this is pure plagiarism, even if you are translating the text. Don’t be a jerk.

paulaschwartz's avatar

not sure. but you can contect the blog owner to get permission first.

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