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At this point you not only understand the benefits of using
content, but you realize that accessing content is fairly
easy.
However, the written word is used by humans worldwide as
both a means of communication and as a powerful tool to control
others. Legal documents and contracts, as well as other forms
of records and statements carry a lot of weight in our society
and what you put on paper can come back to hurt you if you
do not follow some simple guidelines.
If you are writing your own content you need to be aware
that written work and art are both protected by copyrights.
The authors and artists do not need to file official documentation
to enforce their rights to the works they’ve created
and you can be liable for copyright infringement for any works
that you use without the proper authority or permission.
Copyright law is not simple and can be interrupted differently
by individuals. However there are some basic points to consider
when using another work as a reference or in full.
You are NEVER allowed to publish any amount of another writer’s
words verbatim without the permission of the author to do
so. It is wise to have the written permission unless you are
otherwise granted permission by the author such as when using
free to reprint articles that are submitted to article directories.
The reprint permission is usually listed on the article or
on the website where the article was posted. In most cases
you are free to use the information as long as you do not
edit it in any way and you list the author and their personal
bio in the resource box they provide along with the article.
When you hire a writer you must agree in writing to the terms
of usage. If the work is purchased outright and the original
author has no copyright claims, or is providing the work for
your use only, you must state that it is a ‘work-for-hire’
or that you have purchased exclusive rights to the work.
If you have limited or single use rights to the work than
you will not be permitted to use the content for more than
the specified time or place of publication. The article may
also be resold to other individuals for their publications
or websites.
If you are simply quoting a reference source you are usually
safe to do so as long as the reprinted information is shown
within quotation marks and the source or author is listed
along with the quote or with a symbol indicating the source
in the appendix.
The rules for copyright infringement can be a bit murky but
you can be assured that if the content you’ve duplicated
is questioned, more often than not the courts will rule in
favor of the original writer.
You can find more information on US copyright law at www.copyright.gov.
Now that you know what kind of content you need and where
to get it – how can you optimize your website with the
content you provide?
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