Blog
You understand you need to own, have a license to use, or permission to display the images on your website. Otherwise, you could be infringing on Website Copyright Laws. If you took the pictures or created the graphics yourself, and you are a sole proprietor, no problem. If you have a written license agreement to use the images on your site, no problem. If you have written permission from the owner to use the photos on your home page, again no problem. However, what do you do in the case where your employee or an independent contractor takes photos you intend to place with a number of your blog entries? This is where it gets sticky. Not necessarily with your full time employees - usually the ones working full time, they get benefits, you take taxes out of their paychecks and so forth. Generally, these employees are creating works for hire on your behalf and even though they created the Copyrighted work, they are not the owners. You and your company are. However, there is a problem. Courts are always trying to define who is and who isn't an employee, so long story short they can sometimes fall into the category of independent contractor, and an independent contractor's work is not always a work for hire, even if you say so in writing. Let me repeat. Sometimes images created by independent contractors for you, even if you have a written agreement stating they are for hire, are still not works for hire. Period. Don't ask, but it has to do with an independent contractor's work having to fall within one of the 9 exceptions listed in Section 101 of the Copyright Act, plus being subject to a written agreement saying it is a work for hire, else you don't own it. At best you have an implied license to use. And the courts are always arguing over what does and doesn't fit within the 9 exceptions.
So, what do you do? Make all independent contractors, employee or otherwise, sign agreements assigning all of their rights, titles, interests, and ownership to the Copyrighted work they touch to you or your business before they begin performing any work. Be sure to state what they are being paid in consideration for this assignment.
It's a new year with new opportunities and there is no better opportunity to increase traffic to your business website than through blogging. Read about how you can increase sales and marketing for your business by posting quality blog posts regularly. Follow the laid out plan of one of our B2B marketing specialist and learn how you can win a profile post about your business on their website, giving your business even greater exposer!
I find it amazing that so many companies brag about how in touch they are with their customers because they finally discovered the power of 'social media', only to completely ignor everything their customers are writing on their wall. Case in point is my North American Van Lines Review. If you go out to the NAVL Facebook page, it is covered with hundreds (maybe even thousands) of complaints - All the same complaint! Yet they continue on with business as usual, not even attempting to fix this huge problem. I think the irony here is that it may be social media that brings them to their knees.
We pushed out a new ad website today that shows how Doodlekit can be used as an election website / political campaign website builder. Check it out if you get the chance!
Doodlekit's new website editor is out. Check out the their latest blog post showing details of what it looks like!
