Hello Friends , I am having a doubt . I saw a website today , i like the design , and also i got the code of that design from somewhere . Now my question is can i copy the design of the website including everything writings links etc ? Also there is a copyright letter c in the bottom of that page - it means that it is copyright protected right ? So am i true ? How can i make sure whether it is really copyright protected . Also , what are the consequences i am going to face if i do such a thing ?
The worst that could happen is if the owners do have a copyright for the design of the site then they can sue you for an amount of money deemed reasonable for any damages that may have been caused. I'n my opinion, its best to stay clear.
Actually, the worst that could happen is if they sue they are awarded statutory damages if they have the site registered. Statutory damages in the US can run up to $150k.
hello , i just googled about this and saw websites like copyright.gov etc , but they are all for books etc , i didn't found any for website desingn etc ? Well , i just need to need the design of a website is it legal ?
But , when i went to copyright.gov etc i didn't found anything to check whether the site is actually copyright protected , so waht to do now
Richu, the site does not have to be registered with the US Copyright office (copyright.gov) to be protected under copyright law. Creative works - text, images, etc. are all automatically copyrighted as soon as they are created. If you like a design of a web site, why not contact the webmaster and ask if you can use the design for a small fee or for a back link. The worst that can happen is that they say no.
Nonny is right - the copyright protection occurs right when the work is created - registration is not required.
Maybe they won't sue you, but it's so easy to send an e-mail to your host... and to get your site down.