Unless otherwise noted, the contents of the FDA Web site (www.fda.gov)--both text and graphics--are not copyrighted. They are in the public domain and may be republished, reprinted and otherwise used freely by anyone without the need to obtain permission from FDA. Credit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the source is appreciated but not required. 
 
People are also free to link to any URL on FDA's site. FDA's preference is that people link to the material on the FDA site (rather than copying it to their personal Web sites) because the agency continuously updates the information on the Web site as better information becomes available. A person copying documents to another Web site, instead of linking to them, would then have to monitor the original documents to know when these documents were updated by FDA or else risk giving bad or incorrect advice to visitors to their Web site. Providing consumers or health professionals with advice that is not fully up to date can lead to serious public health consequences. Providing industry advice that is not fully up to date can lead to companies being out of compliance with regulatory requirements. 
 
If a person, nonetheless, decides to copy content or images, FDA strongly recommends that the copied item lists the date that the material was copied and provides a link back to its source on the FDA Web site. Users can then see for themselves if the copied material has been updated or changed. 
 
FDA appreciates being informed about the use of Web site materials. Contact FDA, HFI-50, Rockville, MD 20857 or e-mail webmail@oc.fda.gov. 
