{"id":37896,"date":"2022-05-26T15:00:37","date_gmt":"2022-05-26T13:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=37896"},"modified":"2023-08-18T10:58:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T08:58:56","slug":"quick-guide-to-copyright-for-website-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/quick-guide-to-copyright-for-website-owners\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick Guide to Copyright for Website Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]For a very long time, the internet had been seen as a lawless digital wasteland where anything goes. Not only is that not so, it never was. And some people, website owners included, learned that the hard way. In this article, we will discuss some points of <strong>copyright website owners may need to have in mind.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]We\u2019ll start with <strong>what copyright is<\/strong>, and how it behaves online, as well as discuss some general ways in which <strong>copyright may apply to any website<\/strong> or any digital content. We will also discuss some <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forbytes.com\/blog\/react-authentication-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">best practices<\/a> in hosting copyrighted content online<\/strong>. But before we sink our teeth into the meat of copyright, we need to get one thing out of the way. And we bet you already know what it is.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll be talking about.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;22px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-is-copyright\">What Is Copyright<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#whom-does-copyright-belong-to\">Whom Does Copyright Belong To<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#copyright-symbols-and-copyright-notices\">Copyright Symbols and Copyright Notices<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#how-to-copyright-a-website\">How to Copyright a Website<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-is-copyright-infringement\">What is Copyright Infringement<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-to-do-if-your-content-is-plagiarized\">What to Do if Your Content Is Plagiarized<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=&#8221;new-top-picks-banner&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">First, a Disclaimer<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Disclaimer.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Disclaimer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Disclaimer.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Disclaimer-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Disclaimer-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Disclaimer-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The first thing we need to get out of the way is that <strong>we can\u2019t dispense legal advice<\/strong>. Each country and some dependencies can have <strong>their own rules on copyright protection<\/strong>, and the ways copyright rules can interact internationally are just far too many to discuss. However, not only is there far too much to talk about, in many jurisdictions we are legally prohibited to do so, legal advice being the exclusive province of trained and certified lawyers. Instead, we will be engaging in a discussion about general principles and the various issues which may arise when website owners fall afoul of copyright law. In other words, we\u2019re just offering an opinion.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In a lot of articles, we\u2019ve asked you to rely on your best judgment when deciding which course to take. Not here. When facing an issue in the matter of law, <strong>get the best legal advice you can<\/strong>. We can offer one tip with that in mind: the best legal advice is not generally gotten from the internet for free.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-is-copyright\"><\/a>What Is Copyright<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Is-Copyright.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"What Is Copyright\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Is-Copyright.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Is-Copyright-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Is-Copyright-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Is-Copyright-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In the simplest possible terms, copyright is a set of protections designed to <strong>safeguard copyright owners from unlawful use of the content<\/strong> they own or have some other right to. The content to which copyright applies is usually defined as <strong>original work of authorship regardless of form or artistic merit<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]This means that copyright<strong> applies to all sorts of textual, audio, visual, or other creative works or intellectual property (IP)<\/strong> which you may be hosting on your website. Saying that copyright law does not apply to a piece of media is more or less like saying that you don\u2019t have a blood type. \u201cFree for personal or commercial use\u201d is still a copyright status.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"whom-does-copyright-belong-to\"><\/a>Whom Does Copyright Belong To<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Whom-Does-Copyright-Belong-To.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Whom Does Copyright Belong To\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Whom-Does-Copyright-Belong-To.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Whom-Does-Copyright-Belong-To-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Whom-Does-Copyright-Belong-To-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Whom-Does-Copyright-Belong-To-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Typically, a piece of media starts as <strong>a creation of one or more authors who own it fully<\/strong>. Whatever the piece of media is, it is difficult to monetize it unless there is some access to multiplication and distribution mechanisms \u2013 a book has to be printed, a record has to be cut, everything needs to be shipped\u2026 This is why an author or a group of authors starts off owning all rights to the work in question, but they generally need to transfer <strong>the right to make copies of a work \u2013 copyright<\/strong> \u2013 to a printer, publisher, or some other kind of distributor. The mechanism of doing so is called a license.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]A <strong>license, in this case, is a type of contract<\/strong> which grants one side, the licensee, <strong>the right to make and distribute copies of protected content<\/strong> owned by the other side, the licensor, who is then <strong>owed a fee (often referred to as a royalty)<\/strong> or some other form of compensation. It can be <strong>exclusive or non-exclusive<\/strong>, meaning that one licensor can license the same content to multiple licensees. However, since most licensors are individual creators and most licensees are large corporations, licensees typically use their dominant position on the market to push for exclusivity.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Licensing is conceived to <strong>protect the author or authors\u2019 interest for the work to be distributed and available<\/strong> to the public at a price, alongside <strong>the distributor\u2019s interest to profit from the investment<\/strong> of making and selling copies of a work.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Or at least that\u2019s what it used to be like.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]With digital media, <strong>creating infinite new copies of anything is easier than ever<\/strong>, which is probably what contributed to the \u201cif it is online, it is free\u201d mindset in the first place. It probably takes longer to spell \u201cCtrl+C, Ctrl+V\u201d than to execute it.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]This ease of making and modifying copies of a piece of media often makes it<strong> very hard to find the copyright owner<\/strong>. Note, though, that this most often does not excuse you from <strong>liability or even criminal prosecution<\/strong> in case you use a work to which you don\u2019t own rights.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"copyright-symbols-and-copyright-notices\"><\/a>Copyright Symbols and Copyright Notices<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Copyright-Symbols-and-Copyright-Notices.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Copyright Symbols and Copyright Notices\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Copyright-Symbols-and-Copyright-Notices.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Copyright-Symbols-and-Copyright-Notices-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Copyright-Symbols-and-Copyright-Notices-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Copyright-Symbols-and-Copyright-Notices-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The <strong>copyright symbol<\/strong>, or copyright sign, consists of a capital letter C (for copyright) circumscribed by a circle. It looks like this: \u00a9. It is <strong>used to replace the word \u201cCopyright\u201d or \u201cCopr.\u201d<\/strong> in English language copyright notices. Formerly, United States law required copyright to be asserted by a copyright notice in order to exist.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]However, this is no longer the case: in most countries the world over, <strong>copyright exists without notice, from the moment a work is published<\/strong>. The copyright notice can be useful, though, for people who wish to know the identity of the copyright owner, be it the original creator, the publisher, or the distributor. So, the mere fact that the work in question does not contain a copyright notice or a \u00a9 sign does not mean it is free to use by you or anyone else.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The situation is <strong>similar with registered trademarks<\/strong> (\u2122 or \u00ae ) and service marks (\u2120). If such a mark is present, either in the form of a symbol or the word itself, somebody is asserting ownership of it. The opposite does not apply: <strong>people and legal entities do not need to assert ownership for it to exist<\/strong>. This is the main reason, other than the moral implications of using somebody else\u2019s work without compensation, why <strong>you shouldn\u2019t simply copy content for reuse<\/strong> on your website.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]There are cases where you are <strong>explicitly allowed<\/strong> to use somebody else\u2019s intellectual property without express prior consent or compensation \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-properly-use-wordpress-logo\/\">usage of WordPress\u2019s name and logo<\/a> is a good example.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Your website may be hosting completely original content, public domain (free for use) content, licensed content created by other people, or a mixture of the previous. Whether or not your copyright is registered (see below), your website could still benefit from a <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/must-have-legal-pages-for-any-wordpress-website\/#copyright-page\">copyright information page<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"how-to-copyright-a-website\"><\/a>How to Copyright a Website<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-to-Copyright-a-Website.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"How to Copyright a Website\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-to-Copyright-a-Website.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-to-Copyright-a-Website-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-to-Copyright-a-Website-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-to-Copyright-a-Website-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]As we\u2019ve discussed before, you don\u2019t really need to do anything to avail yourself of copyright law protections. However, you will likely have heard of copyright registration. In this section, we will explain in brief what <strong>copyright registration<\/strong> is, how it works, and what good it is.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The exact legal mechanics depend on where you are based, but <strong>copyright registration basically means applying to some manner of governmental body<\/strong> for your intellectual property to be registered with you as the copyright owner. This is typically subject to a fee. A copyright application typically has to contain attached the content the applicant wishes to register under copyright protection.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]To obtain copyright registration, therefore, you need to provide the content you wish to register, and, depending again on the state of the law in your jurisdiction, you may be issued a certificate. The <strong>type of content which can be registered also depends on your jurisdiction<\/strong>, but almost certainly includes non-generic<strong> textual content, original images, audio, video, and design<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Now, in most cases, this does not mean any extra protection: a registered copyright is not \u201cstronger\u201d or \u201cbetter\u201d than an unregistered one. What registration does is <strong>facilitate proving a copyright claim<\/strong>. In many jurisdictions, public records are assumed to contain correct information, so the owner of an unregistered copyright faces an uphill battle when attempting to disprove a false registration in a court of law, all the while facing takedown or similar requests.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-is-copyright-infringement\"><\/a>What is Copyright Infringement<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-is-Copyright-Infringement.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"What is Copyright Infringement\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-is-Copyright-Infringement.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-is-Copyright-Infringement-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-is-Copyright-Infringement-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-is-Copyright-Infringement-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Copyright infringement is the <strong>violation of the rights of the copyright holder<\/strong> by another person. Note that, due to the nature of the license as a contract, you could be infringing on somebody else\u2019s copyright using the content you yourself have created \u2013 for instance, if you have licensed it to another under an exclusive license, prohibiting even you from distributing it independently.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Copyright infringement means <strong>unlicensed distribution of content<\/strong>, be it identical to the original or substantially similar. It is also sometimes called plagiarism. \u201cSubstantially similar\u201d is a legal standard \u2013 a phrase that doesn\u2019t mean anything specific until a court of law or other competent authority decides whether it applies.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Depending on the jurisdiction,<strong> copyright infringement can be a crime and even lead to time in prison<\/strong>. In most cases, it is solid <strong>grounds for liability.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Take this in mind, though: there is such a thing as <strong>fair use of protected content.<\/strong> A creator may use others\u2019 work for the purposes of commentary or criticism or parody. This is why film reviews may include clips or stills from a film, for instance, and book reviews lines from a book.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-to-do-if-your-content-is-plagiarized\"><\/a>What to Do if Your Content Is Plagiarized<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-to-Do-if-Your-Content-Is-Plagiarized.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"What to Do if Your Content Is Plagiarized\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-to-Do-if-Your-Content-Is-Plagiarized.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-to-Do-if-Your-Content-Is-Plagiarized-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-to-Do-if-Your-Content-Is-Plagiarized-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-to-Do-if-Your-Content-Is-Plagiarized-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]This is the penultimate time in this article that we will say we are not dispensing legal advice, but rather <strong>discussing best practices<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The first thing we recommend doing is <strong>not attributing to malice that which can be attributed to ignorance or negligence.<\/strong> Maybe the infringing party is not acting in bad faith. If that is the case, they will probably react well to <strong>a politely worded letter asserting your ownership<\/strong> of the content and asking that the infringing content be removed. This is usually referred to as a \u201ccease and desist letter\u201d. If you are happy that your content is hosted elsewhere, you may also ask them to link to your website instead, not to host the full version of the text or the high-resolution version of the image, or similar. They may decide to play nice and <strong>comply with your request<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In case this doesn\u2019t work, we suggest you <strong>take appropriate legal action<\/strong> to compel them to stop infringing on your rights. What the appropriate legal recourse is depends on a multitude of factors, and this is really the point where you need to<strong> consult a lawyer<\/strong>. A professional will know what are the appropriate steps to take.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">In Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]As you have probably already known, copyright is more complicated than it may appear at first glance. Still, the gist of it is simple enough: content belongs to someone, even if it is free for you to use. For reasons discussed above, please don\u2019t rely on us for legal advice. This much we will say, though: if you are not sure, the safe thing is to assume you don\u2019t have the right to use any particular piece of content. Being respectful to content creators and mindful of copyright owners pays long dividends.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Confused by copyright? You&#8217;re not the only one. Check out our handy article on points about copyright website owners might need to know about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16990,"featured_media":37910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[265,266,4],"class_list":["post-37896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources","tag-copyright","tag-legal","tag-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16990"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}