How to Protect Your Blog from Copyright Infringement

Blogging has been a popular form of media for quite some time now. It is used for marketing purposes, to share information and your experiences with the world, and much more. Businesses of all kinds are adding blogs to their websites to promote their products or services. The best part is that anyone can do it, as it is pretty easy to set up a blogging page.

However, if you are running your business or personal blog all by yourself, you might be overwhelmed by one of the most important aspects of creating and publishing content. That is, of course, avoiding copyright infringement. Considering that so many people are now creating content online, it’s hard to be wholly original. Even if you don’t mean to copy someone else’s work, you might inadvertently use phrases or ideas that others before you have used already. That may be grounds for legal action against you.

With a bit of carelessness, you could land yourself in copyright issues. Fortunately, there are some things you can do that can help protect your blog from copyright infringement.

1. Use Copyright-Free Photos:

Even if you write the best blog known to humankind, you still need to add some visuals to grab a reader’s attention. Adding relevant photos or pictures makes a blog more appealing and attractive. Plus, it helps readers quickly discern what your blog posts are all about.

You might not always be able to create and upload original images, so you could use some relevant ones you find online. But,in that case, be sure to always use royalty-free stock photos from a public domain instead of copyrighted images.

Most images are owned and copyrighted by private creators, and they may just serve you a legal notice if you use their work. And since it’s impossible to individually look for details of every image on the internet to find one that is not copyrighted, it’s best to use images from a public domain. You can find tons of copyright-free stock photos related to every category if you know where to look.

2. Write In A Unique Style:

This may soundlike obvious advice, but it is easier said than done. Of course, it’s your primary aim to create unique content that sets yourself apart from other creators. The problem is that whatever the niche you are writing about, you are not the first one to do so. There are likely hundreds of other writers creating content in the same niche. That’s why it requires a lot of effort to make your blog different from that of others. And if you don’t put much effort into making unique content, your blog has a higher risk of attracting copyright claims, even if you haven’t copied and pasted anything from the internet.

The solution to this dilemma is adding your own spin to the blog. Create and adopt a unique way of writing that is different from that of others. Write uniquely by including your expertise and personal experiences and incorporating your personality.

3. Ask For Permission From The Original Creator:

Of course, there will be times when you draw inspiration from works done by other creators;you might even want to quote something or use something for reference.Remember, you need to be extra careful when doing so. When it comes to copyright infringement, there are two types: primary copyright infringement and secondary copyright infringement. The former is when you use anyone else’s content without their permission or consent. That includes renting or selling others’ content to the public without permission and claiming it as your own. The latter is when you are using content provided to you by someone else committing copyright infringement. This means that even when someone else is renting you or selling you copyrighted content, and you are using it, it’s still considered copyright infringement. Thus, it is crucial that you ask the original creator for their consent or permission before you use their content.

A common mistake people make is giving credit to the original content creator and thinking they are now free from copyright infringement.That isn’t necessarily the case. Giving someone credit is a good thing, but it isn’t sufficient. To ensure you will not receive any legal notices, always take written permission from the original creator. You can avoid copyright infringement by simply emailing or texting the original creator and having documented permission to use their content in your blog.If you’re working with a large brand or group, it might be best to attain a licensing agreement depending on the content you would like to use on your blog.

4. Check For Plagiarism And Document Your Work:

The easiest tip for avoiding copyright infringement is to check your work for plagiarism. Before you finally publish or post your blog on the internet, it’s necessary to check if it contains plagiarized content. Again, even if you are not intentionally plagiarizing content, it can still happen when many people have written about the same topic. Most importantly, what most people don’t consider is checking the stuff you are drawing inspiration from for plagiarism too. Yes, that’s right. You can never be certain whether the blog or source you are using to gather information has plagiarized content. So, if they have copied and pasted material from the internet and you are also citing from their blog, you are unintentionally plagiarizing. That’s why you should always use content from reputable publications and websites.

Along these lines, it’s also crucial to document every stage of your blog writing process. That way, even if you receive a copyright claim notice, you can defend yourself with the evidence of your creative writing process. Email your work to yourself, save all the drafts, use citations even in early drafts, keep lists of all sources, etc. All these things will also help you if you want to copyright your blog.