Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

All creative works are copyrighted, but you cannot copyright a process.  That`s for patents.  As long as you don`t copy their content you should be OK with a similar site.





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Steve Mann
Internet Videographer
MannMade Digital Video
My Email

Steve is correct.  The text, content, and "look and feel" of a website is subject to copyright protection.  The ideas or concepts behind it is not.  But beware, even if you don`t do an exact copy of a website, "derivative works" of the content are also protected by copyright. 

Some good information on derivative works at http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf.



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Pepper Law Group, LLC
21 E. High Street, Suite D
Somerville, NJ 08876
informationlaw.com
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The Legal Considerations of Starting an Online Business

I read an interesting article on types of patents, in the sense of how many patents do you apply for and how they relate to your core idea.

Amazon.com patented the "1-click shop" idea, and many related processes associated with it.

The two terms I remember from the article are "picket patent," and "stealth patent." There was a third, but I don`t remember it.

We also had a previous discussion about who "owns" the content on a Web site. That was interesting, and brought up the contract you sign with the developer.

Finally, an increasing amount of examination is emerging as to the entire concept of copyrighting. Is it even possible in today`s Internet and digital world to enforce a copyright of any kind? Many people have some pretty solid arguments that it isn`t possible.

To that end, we likely will start seeing entirely different ways of providing incentives to artists and inventors to produce new ideas.

wouldn`t you want to be different? both in appearance and content? that said, quality content should be your main objective.  if you are leveraging any kind of written content from another site, make sure you run it through a service like copyscape to ensure you are not violating copyrights. similarly you can use such service to ensure others are not stealing your work.  if you publish it first online it is your work. internet copy by its nature is copyright protected.

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James Lindon, Ph.D. Patent Attorney
Lindon & Lindon, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Pharmacy Law, Litigation
[this is not legal advice - provided for discussion only]
Intellectual Property for the Individual and Small Business: Identify, Protect, Enforce, Defend.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
http://www.LindonLaw.com