FAQ: Copying, Distribution and Use of See-the-Forest Materials

IPVision, Inc. receives many questions concerning about what downloading, copying, distribution and use of materials available at See-the-Forest.com is permitted by the User Agreement.  Some of the most common questions are addressed below.

Downloading

A User of See-the-Forest.com may retrieve, via the downloading/export commands of See-the-Forest.com and store in machine-readable form, primarily for one person's exclusive use, a single copy of each IPVision Map and related material which such User has ordered and, if applicable, has paid for ("Authorized Download Materials").

Printing, Copying and Distribution

A User of See-the-Forest.com may print out, photocopy, and distribute Authorized Download Materials to the extent permitted under the "fair use" provisions of the United States Copyright Act of 1976 (17 U.S.C. §107). The "fair use" provisions of the Copyright Act provide that when determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a "fair use" the following factors must be considered:  whether the use is of a commercial or non-profit nature, the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the work as a whole, and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the work.   Whether a particular use is permitted under the "fair use" provisions of copyright law depends on the facts and circumstances of the particular use.   An evaluation of these facts and circumstances, the factors referred to above and court cases interpreting applicable copyright laws may all be necessary to determine whether the reproduction or distribution of materials published in printed form (books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, etc.) is permissible.   Users who have questions about whether a particular type of use constitutes "fair use" should consult competent legal counsel.  

Derivative Works

A User may not create Derivative Works from IPVision material except as specifically authorized by IPVision.   A User may incorporate Authorized Download Materials into a report and/or presentation being authored by the User about the intellectual property which the User is investigating, provided proper attribution is given to IPVision.   For example, a law firm or IP consulting firm is permitted to make use of patent information from See-the-Forest.com as part of the provision of a specific intellectual property project for their clients or customers.   If any portion of an IPVision patent map is used it must include IPVision's logo and copyright notice.   It is not permitted to use the site or information on See-the-Forest.com to operate an intellectual property research service that is competitive with See-the-Forest.com or any other IPVision site or service or for any other purpose, such as producing/distributing a newsletter about a technology or a company or demonstrating your own products to customers or potential customers.

Exceptions

In certain instances IPVision may give a User limited reproduction and distribution rights for specific materials.   Users should direct requests to reproduce or distribute materials obtained from See-the-Forest.com by mail to IPVision, Inc., Attn: Legal Administration - Permissions, Watermill Center, 800 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453; email: counsel@ipvisioninc.com.   All mailed requests must be in writing on the User's letterhead and should specify the materials the User wishes to reproduce and/or distribute, the purpose of the activity, the method of distribution and the approximate number of recipients.

Last Revised: March 1, 2017