If you read my previous post on Facebook theft then you know
that my blog logo and name was used to create an unauthorized Facebook page which
I am still in the process of getting shut down. In the meantime I thought I
would do this post to inform my fellow bloggers and website owners on some of
the tips I have learned to protect your content from copyright infringement. We
all work hard to snap the perfect photographs and create interesting written
content so when someone decides to take what belongs to you it is reason enough
to throw a fit of rage and take action.
Disclaimer and copyright restrictions:
One of the first things you can to
do to protect your content is to create a disclaimer and copyright notice for your website. Be sure to make it clear and detailed. Let people know exactly how they are
allowed to use your content (including photos and videos). Add a copyright notice
to your website name as well so people don't think it is up for grabs. Copyright formats can be found online but I used this format:
Copyright © Erica Davis Diary of a Trendaholic 2013
All rights reserved
I also have a copyright notice on the footer of my blog that
is displayed on every page. This is also recommended.
To see my disclaimer and copyright information to give you an idea
of what to include in your own please go to: Dairy of a Trendaholic Disclaimer and Copyright
Watermarking:
Watermarking your photos is also important and very simple.
I will admit that I have been very lazy when it comes to doing this, especially
when I am blogging out of the country. One reason I regret not watermarking all
of my photos is because once your content is posted on the internet it is out
there for good and there isn't very much you can do to control it. Even if you go back
and watermark a photo the original could still be out there. Also if you are
posting photos on social media sites like Twitter and Tumblr use the watermark
image as photos can be taken from these sources as well.
For photos on your site you can also disable the right click
option to make it harder for people to take them. Instructions for this is
online.
Digital Millennium Copyright ACT:
If your content is involved in a copyright infringement then
Blogger, Wordpress and some other social media sites like Facebook and Tumblr
do have complaint forms you can submit pertaining to the infringement. These
sites use the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or the DMCA. If your content is
found to be stolen then legal action can be pursued and steps can be taken to
remove your content from the offending site.
Register with the DMCA for free:
The DMCA also has a FREE protection badge that you can register for and place on your website by going to: DMCA free badge registration. This badge helps protect your content from theft and fight against copyright infringement online. If your content is stolen the free account allows you one take down per year. The paid protection plan allows you more options. Placing the badge on the footer of your site protects all of your pages and registering for the badge also allows you to scan the net to see if your content is being used.
My badge can be found at the bottom of this blog on the footer.
The DMCA also has a FREE protection badge that you can register for and place on your website by going to: DMCA free badge registration. This badge helps protect your content from theft and fight against copyright infringement online. If your content is stolen the free account allows you one take down per year. The paid protection plan allows you more options. Placing the badge on the footer of your site protects all of your pages and registering for the badge also allows you to scan the net to see if your content is being used.
My badge can be found at the bottom of this blog on the footer.
Free Copyright:
There are some sites that offer free copyright services but
I haven’t found one with terms I like so my own will suffice for now.
I hope you found this helpful. Leave a comment and let me
know what you think.
I watermark almost all of my photos, even the ones with my face on them. What that girl did was just disrespectful and plain dumb. But I think she's just playing dumb, because how can you not know?!?
ReplyDeleteGood for you, I failed to do this with many of my photos because it just takes so darn long sometimes especially when I am blogging on the go. I think she is playing dumb, I have contacted her to remove it and she has not complied. Facebook is taking their precious time about it too.
DeleteGood for you, I failed to do this with many of my photos because it just takes so darn long sometimes especially when I am blogging on the go. I think she is playing dumb, I have contacted her to remove it and she has not complied. Facebook is taking their precious time about it too.
DeleteGreat post, thank you very much for all the info, I already registered with the DMCA, but I do have to re-write my disclaimer :) I hope you'll solve the problem with that FB page :(
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! Good for you, I didn't really know about the DMCA before all this happened and I had to research ways I could protect myself.
DeleteThis is very valuable information. Thank you:)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog post on this, apparently someone has copied my blog content and I have also submitted to blogger. Hoping that would do something about it.
ReplyDeleteI will take your points into consideration when I edit my blog, and thanks always for such informative posts!
<3 Celly
http://thesnowflowerrr.blogspot.com/
Thank you for this post... Very informative!
ReplyDeleteTai
I blog about needlework, copyright is often a subject in my blogging circle. An excellent article. Thank you!
ReplyDeletewebsite design