# How does truthout.org get away with reprinting all those articles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-truthout-org-get-away-with-reprinting-all-those-articles/273830>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-truthout-org-get-away-with-reprinting-all-those-articles/273830 "2004-11-09T13:57:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-truthout-org-get-away-with-reprinting-all-those-articles/273830/1 "2004-11-09T13:57:17Z")

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> **[Truthout | Fearless Independent News & Analysis](https://truthout.org/)**
>
> Don't let the truth be erased.

The site gathers in stories from the rest of the media and reprints them–it doesn’t just link to them, but reprints them in toto.

for instance, this article

[http://www.truthout.org/docs\_04/110904C.shtml](http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/110904C.shtml)

from The Atlantic Monthly; I went to The Atlantic’s web site to see the original, but it’s only available to subscribers.

How is truthout able to reprint all these? Is it paying some fee for use (I could find no “about truthout…” info. on their site that would shed light on this)? It seems beyond the scope of any definition of Fair Use. Are they just asking for a flood of cease-and-desist orders?

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-truthout-org-get-away-with-reprinting-all-those-articles/273830/2 "2004-11-09T14:11:03Z")

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According to the citation in the footer on the pages, they’re arguing fair use:

> [@](#):
>
> In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

I don’t see how it is fair use, since they are reprinting entire articles and, as you say, these are only normally available if you pay. I assume they just haven’t been sued yet. Or maybe they take down articles from a given source when they get a cease-and-desist from that source.

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-truthout-org-get-away-with-reprinting-all-those-articles/273830/3 "2004-11-09T14:57:34Z")

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Thanks. Should’ve read the fine print.