If you have a business website, something most businesses do, you should be careful about the type of information you post on your site. This is especially true with information from third parties. Careless use of such information, such as pictures or infographics, might attract copyright infringement claims. Below are a few specific tips to help you avoid such claims.
Understand Media Restrictions
Before you use another person's work on your site, understand the restrictions the owner has put on the media. Many people, even those who allow their work to be used by others, don't allow unrestricted use. For example, a picture that may be free for nonprofits to use might not be free for businesses to use. Never make any assumptions about such things.
Seek Clarification and Permission
If in doubt about a particular media, seek clarification or permission from the owner. For example, you might come across an infographic laden with obscure or technical restrictions that you don't understand. In such a case, the best thing is to contact the owner and get permission before including the infographic in your site.
Understand Your Business and Site
You also need to understand your website's statistics since they may determine whether you can use certain work or not. Some of the things you should know include the monthly visitors to your site, your business designation, and the designation of your website. That way, you don't use a media that is licensed for free use by small businesses if you are not a small business.
Use Disclaimers
Using disclaimers can help you avoid liability or limit your damages in some areas. For example, if you have a used a stock picture from a certain site, you should put up a disclaimer that the picture is not your original work. You can state that the picture is used with permission from the free site. That way, you may escape serious issues if it turns out that the site did not have the original photographer's work to use their picture.
Act Fast
Lastly, you need to act fast if others raise complaints about your infringement on their works. Don't dismiss complaints as baseless, take too long to work, or consider complaint insignificant (say, smalltime freelancers or students). In fact, take down the work as you investigate and deal with the claim. Continuing with the infringement even after you have received a complaint about it can aggravate the damages.
Hopefully, you won't be dealing with copyright infringement claims any time soon. However, you cannot rule out that possibility and the best way to protect yourself is to buy adequate liability coverage for your business. For more information, go to companies like Scovotti Insurance.
Share27 September 2019
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