Copyright laws and enforcement is very much alive and well, even on the Internet.

We often tend to think of the Internet as one big, happy family. Well, most of the time! Especially with the advent of social media, we grab photos, stories, headlines, memes, etc. and share them without consideration about who actually owns or created the content.

While there’s a fine line on social media where most content owners may look the other way, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have the right to use content you either didn’t create yourself, or have permission to use. This is even more important when it comes to content you use to promote your business by way of more traditional marketing methods, like your website.

Did you REALLY write that blog article? If not, do you have permission to use it on your site?

This happens quite often, especially with real estate blogs. An agent sees a great piece about the market on another website, then they do the old copy/paste right onto their own site…without so much as a nod to the original writer.

This is illegal, not to mention unethical. Copyright laws state that you cannot use the intellectual property of another for professional (or even personal) gain without their permission…period! There are exceptions in which you use excerpts or quote, and attribute the quote to the writer, although you should use them sparingly, and only to help expand upon the broader concept or message of your own article. 

What about pictures I find on the web?

Photos and other graphic images are under copyright protection as well. You cannot pull images from another website, search engine or even social media site for use on your own site without permission. You may be liable for licensing fees, or even legal damages, if the original creator brings suit against you.

Stock photo companies such as Getty Images have recently cracked down on illegal image use by using special software to search out website who are using their images without permission. The website owner will subsequently receive a letter from the Getty Images legal department demanding an immediate cease and desist (IE: A legal demand to remove the image in question), AND will demand a licensing fee equaling hundreds of dollars to be paid in full. Ignored letters are followed up by a more serious legal notice with a $5,000 price tag, followed up by court action.

How do I work around these issues and remain within the copyright laws?

First, when it comes to blog articles, write your own, or hire someone to write them for you. Blog articles should be unique in content, not canned. So it’s strongly suggested you perform due diligence if you’re thinking about hiring a ghost writer. In some cases, they may have canned content that they have written that they’ll sell over and over again to anyone, which can diminish your SEO standing on the search engines.

As far as images go, here are a few sites where you can obtain them under a “Royalty Free” license. Some sites are free (Marked with *), while others may charge a licensing fee. Also, make sure you carefully read the license agreement, even for the free site. Here goes:

http://freeimages.com*
http://commons.wikimedia.org*
http://istockphoto.com
http://santaclaritastockphotos.com

PS: The image used in this article was legally obtained through iStockphoto.com.