Legal Definitions - inlining

Inlining refers to the practice of displaying content, most commonly an image, from one website directly onto another website without obtaining the original owner's permission. Instead of hosting a copy of the content on their own servers, the website owner links directly to the content's address on the original source website.

This method makes the content appear seamlessly integrated into the linking website, often leading visitors to believe that the content originated from or is owned by the site they are currently viewing, rather than its true source. This practice raises significant legal and ethical concerns, particularly regarding copyright infringement and the potential to mislead users or deprive original creators of proper attribution and the benefits of their work.

• Example 1: Lifestyle Blog Using Professional Photography

  A new online lifestyle blog publishes an article about healthy eating. To illustrate a point about organic produce, the blog owner finds a high-quality photograph of fresh vegetables on a renowned food photographer's portfolio website. Instead of purchasing a license for the image or embedding it properly with attribution, the blog owner directly links to the image file on the photographer's site.

  When visitors view the blog post, the vegetable photograph appears as if it's part of the blog's own content. They are unlikely to realize that the image is actually being loaded directly from the photographer's website, potentially depriving the photographer of traffic, credit, and licensing fees, and misleading the blog's audience about the image's origin.

• Example 2: Online Retailer Displaying Product Images

  A small online retailer sells custom-designed jewelry. To showcase the quality of the gemstones they use, the retailer "inlines" highly professional, detailed close-up images of specific gem types from a large, established gemological institute's educational website.

  The jewelry retailer's website now displays these impressive gem images, making their products appear more authoritative and high-quality. However, because the images are inlined, they are being served directly from the institute's servers without their permission. This not only consumes the institute's bandwidth but also misrepresents the source of the images, implying the retailer has the resources or expertise to produce such photography, and potentially diluting the institute's brand.

• Example 3: Personal Portfolio Featuring Artwork

  An aspiring graphic designer creates a personal online portfolio to display their skills. To demonstrate their proficiency in web design, they include a section showcasing "inspiration" and "mood boards." Within one of these sections, they "inline" a striking abstract art piece from a famous digital artist's official gallery website.

  The abstract art piece appears directly on the designer's portfolio, contributing to the overall aesthetic and implying a connection or endorsement. However, the designer has not obtained permission from the digital artist. This act of inlining uses the artist's bandwidth, obscures the original artist's identity from casual viewers of the portfolio, and could be seen as an unauthorized display and redistribution of copyrighted material, potentially diminishing the artist's control over their work.