Images, Copyright and New York Commercial Insurance
1/31/2012 8:25:00 AM
It’s rare to find any business today that operates without a website and more people are discovering the benefits that social media may bring. Businesses do need to be aware of intellectual property issues however, and the use of images is just one example. While New York commercial insurance may help if things go wrong and you have the appropriate type of coverage, some basic copyright knowledge is advisable.
An image you use on your website, with a blog post or a published document such as a newsletter needs to be one that you are legally entitled to use. Just as you would never (hopefully!) copy text from another website into your own, you should never copy photos either - you need to be aware that photos are protected under copyright laws. While it’s very easy to take any image from the web, doing so means you may be infringing copyright and placing yourself at risk of being taken to court.
There are several ways in which you might use another image. You may seek permission directly from the copyright holder (the name will often be printed under or next to the image), you can use your own photos or you might purchase the use of a photo, illustration or artwork from an image library. Image libraries house thousands of images and tend to offer discounts if you are looking to use their services on a regular basis to purchase a large number of images.
The liability component of New York commercial insurance may provide financial compensation to businesses that are found liable of copyright and intellectual property infringement. To find out if you have sufficient liability insurance and are covered for this type of issue, be sure to phone your agent for advice.
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An image you use on your website, with a blog post or a published document such as a newsletter needs to be one that you are legally entitled to use. Just as you would never (hopefully!) copy text from another website into your own, you should never copy photos either - you need to be aware that photos are protected under copyright laws. While it’s very easy to take any image from the web, doing so means you may be infringing copyright and placing yourself at risk of being taken to court.
There are several ways in which you might use another image. You may seek permission directly from the copyright holder (the name will often be printed under or next to the image), you can use your own photos or you might purchase the use of a photo, illustration or artwork from an image library. Image libraries house thousands of images and tend to offer discounts if you are looking to use their services on a regular basis to purchase a large number of images.
The liability component of New York commercial insurance may provide financial compensation to businesses that are found liable of copyright and intellectual property infringement. To find out if you have sufficient liability insurance and are covered for this type of issue, be sure to phone your agent for advice.
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