If your site allows visitors to post digital files or comments (e.g. in an online blog, as well as in a forum or chat room), you could be held liable for copyright infringement if any of their postings infringe the rights of another person, even if you are unaware of the infringement. Under general copyright principles, you would be strictly liable for their copyright infringement, even if you are "innocent".

Far from being the sincerest form of flattery, imitation is often a big waste of time.

Two days ago I was performing a rather dull set of SEO experiments when I noticed something very disturbing. While testing Google’s SERPs against keyword phrases inserted into the Metamend Facebook profile, I found a Chinese SEO company had completely stolen the Metamend source-code, images and all. The Chinese firm, Okwoo.com had slightly altered and translated the site-text into a Chinese language but had left blog postings (many of which I wrote) in the English language they were originally written in. It’s called site jacking and it happens more often than a reasonable person might realize.

Systematic Theft - One Search Engine Optimization Company's 'Nasty Surprise'

Due to the number of dishonest businesses that have appeared in recent years, it is possible that a price-sensitive company''s first experience with a search engine optimization company will be a negative one. SEO companies can earn their poor reputation from using shady tactics to cut costs - or from stealing from other, legitimate SEO firms. Learn more about how to protect your company''s assets from other unethical firms.

A Privacy Policy can be defined as the policy under which a company or organization operating a web site handles the personal information collected about visitors to the site. For most of us consumers, privacy involves protecting our integrity and our right to disclose or not our personal information to third parties, without letting anybody bother us with unsolicited communications if we do not want to be contacted.

Though I am not a lawyer myself, nor have I any juridical education, I still suspect there's an area that someone handling a copyright, a trademark or any other intellectual property issue that isn't covered widely - especially by lawyers. Read on to understand why.

What is a copyright? Can everything be copyrighted? A copyright is the expression of an idea. The idea itself is not copyrighted. Ideas can be patented and I will talk about patents later.

Are Search Engine Spiders Infringing on Copyright? Belgium Speaks Out

Last Friday (Sept 15th, 2006) a Belgium court dealt a stunning blow against Google and its Google News search service. The court is now forbidding the popular search engine from indexing Belgian newspaper content without paying each newspaper for the use of their content.

When web developers and their clients get together, there can be a variety of different responses.

Some are so keen to get on with the project that they completely ignore the legal contract; others simply work on the standard terms and do not bother looking at them; still others sit down and negotiate an agreement that works for both parties.

The first step to find out if your invention can be patented is to conduct a free patent search online in any free patent information database online.

How can you do a free patent search to find out if your invention can be patented?

The European market is a multi-billion $ sector which you can not afford to ignore. If you are based within Europe, American or Canada you must be aware of the legal restrictions and requirements or face a hefty fine which could close your business. Don’t panic! I am going to make this so simple you can’t go wrong.