How Copyright Violation Can Ruin Your Business!
Dear fans and readers, especially newbies,
Be careful with using any kind of content you find in the internet, books, movies, Dias, photos, negatives, laptops/pc's and so forth. If you have access to these and you think they are free to use, think again. Only if you own it, doesn't mean it is yours to replicate it.
If you made it yourself, you bought it and you have a written document the ownership is yours to use it in any way you like, or you are having a license that authorizes you to use it, you are safe. Careful with making photos and videos of private property, people (faces) and government institutions, military, concerts and other, these are often not allowed to show off in your blog nor on Youtube.
Copyright Violation on Content!
Don't copy content from others, unless it is specified you are allowed to do so, mostly by naming the source or when the owner says you are allowed to use it. You can rewrite in your own words, add experience and you will be ok. Everything else is a copyright violation and if you get caught it will mostly ruin your business, because of the damage claims coming to get you.
Copyright Violation on Pictures!
When you are using pictures, most are copyright protected and if you use them, you can face a claim of 6000$ per picture if you are using them for your own gain, your own use on your website and or article blog posts.
Maybe you think it won't happen to you, think again once that lawyer letter enters your home to pay the damage you caused. This is not a joke, there are enough cases known, also in WA, of people who negligent misuse pictures from others.
I am writing this article as I have seen an article today, where someone is violating copyright from one of the biggest corporations in the world. Whatever you post in WA, your are fully responsible for your actions, not WA, but you are the one who will be facing the consequences for copyright violations.
The best way to know if you are allowed to use a picture is to checkmark following list:
- Is the picture really free? Make sure they are free by checking with the owners
- Does the picture source need to be named in your blog?
- Am I allowed to make changes to the picture?
- Am I allowed to use the picture in a money making blog?
- Am I allowed to sell the picture? (Sell your website, yeah what about the pictures?)
- Did I get a written confirmation from my friend to publish that selfie with my friend?
- Am I allowed to make and use photos showing the brand of that company on the photo? If it is used as a product description to sell the product and it is a part of the description of that product then yes, otherwise no
- Do I have a private and or commercial license to use a photo? (Check the services that offer these licenses what is written in their terms and conditions)
Same counts for media material like sound, music, movies and so on.
Think before you act, don't risk your business you just build up to get ruined because of a copyright violation.
Stefan, ToLiNoLi
Recent Comments
269
Stefan,
Well done and needed. I do hope that if it is I who you saw a photo of concern you will PM me. I watch this but I am always worried about that grey line.
Laura
Hi Laura,
You are safe as far I can tell, but if I see something I will PM you.
Have a great day.
Stefan
Thanks Stefan .
Great post .I always questioned this area when writing for my site so I always change information on the information I use and also try and take similar pictures of the images I need . Just putting a little extra time and effort into doing this will safeguard you.
Kind Regards
Sean
There you go Sean and you are welcome.
This is a good way to stay out of trouble and you are sure yours is yours. Great job!
Kind Regards
Stefan
Thank you. This is a very important reminder. I hope the images I used are free. I have to produce my own.
Own photos are great, but check my list as well as there are some limitations in that as well.
Sometimes it is not possible to find the photos you need, then you could think of a photoservice and buy / license photos for a price.
Thank you for these reminders, Stefan.
Your points are things as business owners we need to address.
My friend, if there are any cases of violation on my part, please do not hesitate to let me know.
We are here to help each other.
Thank you once more!
Blessings
Maxine
Hi Maxine,
Did Maxine, which means Maxine as yourself who is Maxine, give you permission to post a photo of Maxine? :P
I haven't seen anything else yet, but who knows the other Maxine will come one day and say hey that is me. :))
Ok, I will tell you, but I haven't seen any yet, I am not checking your photos, the one I found was from someone else and I know it is a violation as I did the research to know how you are allowed to use that photo.
So I hope that person reads this post and changes it. I am not going to name out people nor telling them what to do, however if this post can help to teach that person then my goal is reached.
Same counts for anyone else who needs help with this topic.
Cheers,
Stefan :))
Yes, Stefan. Helping each other is what it's all about.
Go easy, my friend.
1Have a great weekend.
Peace and love
Maxine
I am easy going and fun all in one deal. :P
Have a funny weekend, here it is snowing since yesterday, we got 6cm now.
Oh well, great to stay inside and be online doing some work on my website as well.
Peace and love to you too.
Stefan
I am coming over right away and bring you a Snowman! :P
hahahahaha
I prefer warm weather....
Thank you Maxine you are cool too. ;-)))
Thank you for sharing this excellent post. What about the photos in our WA blog area. Are those photos safe for uploading? I know if you go to google images, most all the photos will give a notice that their photos are copyrighted protected. Your post is definitely a good teaching post.
Check the source. You cannot just take other's people's photos here. WA is a open blogging platform, anyone can see what you post.
If someone uses photos here in WA, it is good possible they are copyright protected and you will violate the law.
If someone has a license to use that photo to post it on WA, does that mean you have that license too? Think and you know the answer.
Often time you can find Royalty Free and Free Use Images. ANd there are such sites as CC0 Creative Commons Zero which is photos that are fully public domain. You are correct that the sources need to be verified.
The problem with those platforms is, where did they get their photos from and are they giving you the guarantee that if that photo is not free, that they will take away that liability? I don't think so.
I pay a commercial license, yes extra costs, but I am safe and don't have to worry as the platform takes away that risk. It saves me a lot of time and if you post regularly and you are in need for good photos, this is a more cost effective and safer way.
Point taken. How’s do you find a commercial license photo supplier. If I can ask, Who do you use?
There are many out there, google it, it is called Stockmarket. They are different in photo quality and choice, some you pay per photo and with others you can pay for a package or on timely base. Important here is also you need to read the terms, can you keep the license once you unsubscribe? How long is the license valid, what can you do with that license and what not.
If you are not sure, you can ask the community. We are here to help each other to succeed together.
South Africa has recently passed a law that abolishes most of the international copyright law.
Being in the book industry, it is going to cause disaster somehow somewhere.
I am not even sure how it applies to online content.
Hi, really?
Can you name the source here as I tried to Google that and nothing comes up. Maybe it was fake news. :))
If not than that would isolate South Africa from the rest of the world, who does want to do business with South Africa ignoring international copyright laws?
I think the government is not keen on letting the rest of the world know. I work in a bookshop and we have received our info from the publishers. You can view it via Litnet or Litera.
One of our more prominent authors, Deon Meyer, have also spoken out against this law.
Apparently Canada has adopted the same structure a while back.
I'll see if I can find info on my side as well.
Thanks I will have a read and see what it is all about and what the implications for us are.
Your knowledge and experience in this topic is much appreciated.
Can you say it changed anything already in your landscape?
Not as an affiliate marketer no. I prefer following the copyright laws to the letter.
Personally, I think I need to work harder in this course, in case I lose my day job. I would like to publish one day, and I'd prefer it if I can make income out of it.
Having a job is great if you love what you do. Building a second stream of income is great too and will give you some safety if things change, heck if you make enough you can quit your current job if you like to be an online marketer and write and sell your own books.
Give it a try. :))
So I looked it up.
If this law stays, it will put Africa in the sidelines as I foresee a worldwide boycott.
Africa will also probably loose access to international websites, as it would mean the same here, so to protect our work, we should block all African IP Addresses avoiding copyright violations, or is this law only valid for published works in Africa?
I am unsure. Very little is known about the amendment. This has been done in such a way that not even the public is aware of it yet.
Hmmmm you ask yourself what is behind this, there must be a reason to implement such an amendment. Who does benefit from this? If it is only about what is published in Africa, you will see that many will stop publishing for this country: information control?
If it reaches internationally, we should be concerned and block African IP addresses or your content will be taken, because Africa says it is allowed. That is bad for business.
The most remarkable reason is to offer "cheap" education to the less fortunate. But the truth behind this agenda goes much deeper.
When I started studying, you needed at least a 60% pass rate to go to university. It has now been brought down to 30%.
By 2020 they want to remove all fees for tertiary education and it seems the fees to buy textbooks.
This is going to spill over to other copyrighted sources and I also think a shift in government will cause something similar to the Russian internet some time in the future.
I want to get out of this country. XD
Anyone offering a good migration option, I'm all ears! 😅
Free education for everyone is a good idea, but they should narrow it a bit more down and not put everything in one basket. I think they want to make sure that any kind of knowledge is available for everyone.
Could it not be a better idea they build their own library which has content free for all? And to access it you go to the University or visit the online University library?
Then allow publishers to write for the University and pay them for their work.
Actually you are in one of the best countries of the world once the magnetic poles are flipping.... :))
Stefan
I like your optimism. The white man is no longer welcome here. Hence why I started with affiliate marketing.
I am an honour graduate that doesn't have a job in his field.
But I think I prefer being my own boss above sitting in an office working from someone else.
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Have a question for you. I use google advanced search images and only use the pictures that are free to use, share, modify even commercially. What do you think about this and do you use google advanced search images?
I am not using their services, I am paying a commercial license for the photos I use,
You want to be safe? Follow up my list, trace down the source and make sure they are free.
Google is just a service, but they won't give you any guarantees, use it on your own risk. I say it is not worth it, unless you have the time to trace all those photos down, and even ask for the permission of the use of that photo if not further described.
Hope that helps.