web copy writing
How do you copy write a website?

I’m thinking of starting a web site and want to copy write to protect the site but dont know who to. Any suggestiions.

You mean copy*right* ? You automatically get the copyright of a website — as anything else you may write or create (e.g. photo, music) — no need to apply nor claim copyright… Though most people add the “Copyright (C) 2009-2010 John N. Doe” or whatever.

In order to loose the copyright, you must explicitly give it from you — e.g. by writing you release the content into the public domain or that the content is licensed under something like Creative Commons.

The exception is if you do this at work — or as part of something you do for your employer. Then — depending on your contract — it will probably be your employer who owns the copyright. This is where it may be confusing, as your contract may make your “free-time” actually company-time. If that is the case — or it may be confusion — get your employer to sign a release for whatever.

That you have the copyright, doesn’t mean that someone can’t try to steal your content and/or design… and unless you can afford to sue them, it’s little you then can do. You may make it difficult to download the content, but that’ll probably make the site difficult to use — and prevent fair usage (and thus only annoying your users). If something can be viewed/read, then it can be copied too.

Remember if you “borrow” design or scripts — or maybe just the “idea” of a design/script — you may be the one breaking someone elses copyright. Remember that even if you found something — text, photo, video, logo — on the web, doesn’t mean you can freely use it… it’s probably copyrighted.

Also, putting together several video-clips to one, or photoshoping an image to look drawn or painted (or whatever); does *not* qualify as an independent work. Unless you have the permission of the copyright holder of the original, you’re breaking someone elses copyright — you’re not getting the copyright of the derived work.

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Filed under: Copywriting

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