Blogging has become a worldwide phenomenon and it all started with the beginning of the internet. If you are a blogger or have a company blog, it is important that you familiarize yourself with intellectual property law so that you can protect yourself from getting into trouble.
What Exactly is Intellectual Property Law?
Intellectual property law is made up of three major categories. These include: copyright, patent, and trademark. While accurately defining these different areas of practice can be complicated, there are a few critical distinctions. Copyright refers to artistic mediums such as photos, music, and writing. Patents are used to protect inventions and trademarks are generally for logos, company names, or slogans. Scottsdale patent lawyers generally agree that a blogger will only have to concern themselves with copyright and trademark laws.
Copyright Laws
It is very important to be familiar with copyright laws especially when posting to the internet. An example of a copyright law violation would be using someone else’s photo and declaring ownership. Not having the owner’s permission or using a photo that is not licensed for reuse can put bloggers in a risky situation, not to mention it’s illegal. To avoid legal repercussions, create your own written and visual content or use stock photos. Make sure the stock photo website or vendor you get them from is reputable and up-to-date on current copyright laws.
Trademark Laws
Whenever you use a trademarked logo or name, the copyright or trademark symbol can help bypass the possibility of running into legal issues. The majority of blogs may even decide to opt out of using these symbols. Problems usually only arise if a company name or logo is being used to give off the impression that the blog is somehow associated with the business in question. Basically, trademark laws will only come into play if a blogger pretends to have a business relationship with the owner.