Online businesses urged to caution over copyright

The risks of failing to properly copyright content have been highlighted by experts at the Forum of Private Businesses (FPB), urging online compamies to exercise caution and ensure they are protected by the relevant copyright laws.

The FPB argues that small, online businesses are at particular risk of having their content and branding copied by unscrupulous parties and can have little legal protection against this unless efforts are made to copyright said material.

FPB campaigns manager Matt Hardman states that these online business need to focus on their web presence and take the necessary precautionary measures to protect their business identity. On a similar note Mr Hardman stresses that businesses need to be careful not to accidentally infringe upon another party's copyright.

He continues to highlight examples of large international brands taking action against much smaller businesses that did not even realise they were breaking any laws, underlining the risks inherent in trading online.

"The moment you go online, you're going into a wider market," he explains. "So yes, the dangers of someone taking exception to your activity, your brand name, your logo and the images that you're using are heightened."

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers reports that a growing number of young artists seeking to sell their music online are copyrighting their work, reflecting a level of business acumen among the internet generation, reports USINFO.

© Adfero Ltd

16 Aug 2007 14:59:14 (Source: Adfero)