One of the things often overlooked by online marketers is the importance of observing copyright laws – yes, even on the Internet! 
So I wanted to share a couple of sites with you.
Copyright on the Web – this is an article from About.com. Well-written and easy to follow.
Copyscape – If you suspect someone has used your materials without permission, you can put their URL into this site. They will provide you with a report on how similar that page is to every other page on the Internet. Likewise, you can use this if you suspect you’ve used too much of someone else’s words on your page.
In general, Fair Use, as defined by the copyright law is the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If it’s going to cost them gold (time, marketshare, or money out of their pocket), don’t do it.
And as for images – just because you found it on Google doesn’t mean you have the right to use it. Assume that ALL images are copyrighted unless they specifically say they are “public domain” or “royalty free.” Otherwise, you’re running a risk every time you use someone else’s photograph, cartoon, or graphic. Again, just think how YOU would feel if you found out someone else was using the graphics you paid $100 to have created for you.
Good information, Jeanette. Thanks.
Just curious…who’s going to stop you from posting if you don’t get 10 comments?
Have a great weekend.
Jeanne
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Great reminders. Especially about the images. I learned that early when I found the cover image for my book and fortunately the publisher knew to go and purchase the rights to using it. I thought it was “ok” cuz it was “on google” – that was a few years ago but I think that people still have that same thinking pattern.
Thanks for reminding us about copyscape too.
Terrie
Hi Jeanette I’m writing a huge website right now called griffinstory.com which presents the life’s work of architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. All images of their work was published before about 1940 and are now located in libraries all around the world. In the last ten years around six large books have been published on them and all these books publish these images again and again. I feel I have every right as a writer to produce a website which presents the Griffins work as a sequence of projects, time-based so that the viewer can click through these projects and images and understand their sequence, something that no book has done. I feel I can write materials online which include these images so long as I link and acknowledge the sources from which I’m obtaining this material. Copywright ought not to impede my expression so long as I acknowledge and inform my sources and, in effect, encourage them to link to my site.