Avoid copyright conflict
This article outlines some actions which you can take to avoid being accused of, or finding yourself at the receiving end of copyright theft. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it does go a long way towards ensuring you don’t get entangled in any (potentially expensive) Copyright theft battles.
1. Always ask permission before copying text or images from another blog/website.
In my experience people are usually very happy to have you use their work so long as credit is given. That leads me on to my next point…always ask the person how they would like their work credited. Most people seem happy to just have a link to their website/blog, but some may wish to have a specific link used instead. For example, when people post free backgrounds made using my digital scrapbooking kits, I prefer a link to purchase the kit, rather than a general link to my blog.
2. Always ask the copyright owner’s permission before altering a graphic or using it for any other purpose than it was designed for.
This is a huge area of concern for blog designers. For example, if I make a header and then the user resizes that header and crops it for use as a profile picture, this is actually a breach of copyright because the image has been used for something other than intended. It’s like buying a 52 inch TV and then going back to the store and walking out with a 16 inch version of it because you need something smaller as well. Just because you CAN resize an image a use it for a different purpose, it doesn’t mean you SHOULD. In many cases, the copyright owner won’t charge you anyway; they just like to be asked.
Some designers do not allow their graphics or blog designs to be altered by another designer. All changes must be done by them and they may charge for this. This is often done because coding is commercially sensitive information. In the case of images, it’s best to contact the original designer anyway as they will have the “unflattened” version of the image, which is easier to work with and provides a better finish anyway.
3. Get a copyright statement.
This might be a simple statement at the bottom of your blog; something along the lines of “Do not copy content without permission”. Or you can put in place a Creative Commons agreement which outlines specifically what can and can not be done with your work. Go to Creative Commons for more info.
4. If you have permission to use an image or text, write “used with permission” underneath the image or somewhere within the text.
That should stop people wondering and reporting you to the copyright owner.
5. Use image watermarks.
These don’t need to be fancy. I tend to use a simple one such as my blog address typed onto an image.
6. Know where and how to complain.
If you find your content on another blog, try emailing the owner and ask them to remove the offending content. Also, I recommend adding a comment underneath the post (if possible) so that people know the true source of the material. If the blog in question is a Blogger blog, then I’m afraid Blogger will not be showing much interest in your case, you will need to file a DCMA against the culprit. If you search Google, you will find lots of information on filing a DMCA with Google (the owner of Blogger). Each blogging platform has their own way of doing this, and it isn’t usually very obvious how to navigate the process.
Have you ever been in copyright conflict with anybody? How did you resolve it?
I hope you found this feature useful, if you have any questions or comments, then leave a comment below and I'll do my best to answer it :)
About Louise: I am 35 years old, married and live in the UK. I am a blog designer with over 20 years experience producing digital graphics and over 10 years writing on blogs. My main blog is my blog design blog, Adori Graphics, where I sell custom blog makeovers and premade blog templates as well as posting tutorials and blog freebies. I consider myself an "ethical blogger" and believe that everyone should give something back to the blogging community, which is why I write guest blogger articles, offer sponsorships to blogger conferences, sponsor giveaways and run a free blog makeover program called Write From The Heart.
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