Is online content theft a threat to your business? And, is there any method to prevent future material theft from your Website? The answer to these questions is affirmative. Copyright protects anything that the owner creates, provided that the work is original. Unfortunately, the Internet is currently the most likely medium for copyrighted material to be used without the owner’s permission. People frequently make the mistake of thinking that anything published on the Internet is open to everyone.
As a consequence, they keep posting copyrighted material without crediting the original author. However, it is essential to learn how to fight against online copyright infringement if you are a blogger or website content writer.
This article will explain how to protect your Website’s content from being stolen and published on other websites without your permission.
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What is online content theft?
As the word suggests, content theft is the act of inappropriately stealing another person’s work. It refers to the vast majority of digital materials, including written text, images, and video that are not freely available to the general public. One such specific kind of content theft is Plagiarism. Plagiarism is one of the most common forms of content theft. It involves copying and pasting information from one Website to another without obtaining permission or crediting the website owner.
You need to know: HOW TO OBTAIN PATENT IN UAE: REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
Can I claim Copyright over material published on the Website?
Without the author’s express (typically written) permission, nothing protected by Copyright may be copied or published, whether in text or as a picture. Copyright protection begins when an author creates an original work and fixes it to a physical medium; thus, information is protected regardless of whether it bears a copyright notice or mark. Your Website’s content is critical, even more so if it earns you money. As a consequence, it’s crucial to safeguard it from unauthorized copying and republishing. It will help you retain the reputation of your website and business while also avoiding revenue loss. A webpage’s contents are no different from those of a book or magazine regarding copyright protection.
In one of the most landmark cases of Land Nordrhein-Westfalen v Dirk Renckhoff, Case (C-161/17), the European Union (CJEU) ruled that copying another website’s material without authorization is a violation of copyright. Website owners should ensure that no pictures or other material on their websites are stolen without permission from other sites since this constitutes copyright infringement.
Types of Digital works protected by Copyright
Copyright Protection for different kinds of Digital Media are as follows:
- Photos and digital artwork
- Blogs
- Digitally made songs
- Sound recordings of music,
- Movies and video recordings
- Computer applications
- Websites and website material, such as blogs, social media posts, and concise online articles etc.
What rights are provided by Copyright to the website owner?
The owner of a copyright has the following authority to permit or prohibit anyone from:
- Reproduction in whole or in part of their copyright work, by any means and in any form;
- Any disclosure to the public of their copyright work.
You must read: What is “Cybersquatting” and how to protect your Domain name in UAE?
How can I protect my web content?
If the owner of a copyrighted work identifies copied content that has been published on another’s Website, the copyright owner essentially has three options:
- Sending Legal Notice or Cease and desist letter
The copyright holder must immediately contact the person who copied the work via legal notice or cease and desist letter. Inform him of the copyright protection afforded to his work that has been published online without his permission and the urgency with which he must remove it.
- Filing a Copyright Infringement case to court
If the person infringing on the copyright holder’s work fails to remove the material from the Website, the copyright holder may bring a copyright infringement case to court. However, filing a lawsuit is not a good idea because it is expensive and causes unnecessary stress.
- Submit a takedown notice
The final and best option for removing infringement-infringing content from a website is to submit a takedown notice. Assume the work’s owner discovers that copyrighted material – without his knowledge – has been uploaded to the Internet. Submitting a takedown notice is the most efficient method of removing content. However, it is widely regarded as the most effective method of removing infringement-related content from the web.
Let’s talk more about the Takedown notice and how much it effectively removes the infringing content from the Website?
What is a Takedown notice?
A takedown notice defined as:
- A legal request made in the form of notification by the copyright owner or his representative.
- for unauthorized online publishing of copyrighted material,
- They are given to the person who published it, the website provider or owner of the Website where the material is published.
- The purpose of such notification is to prompt the Web site’s owner to delete the infringing material.
Who can file a Takedown notice?
Takedown notices can be filed by:
- The copyright holder
- The legal representative of the Copyright Holder.
It is always advisable to file a Takedown notice with the help of a knowledgeable IP (Intellectual Property) expert.
Read about: Protection of intellectual property
WHY CHOOSE HHS LAWYERS AND LEGAL CONSULTANTS
It’s a good idea to report the infringement of online web content so that no one else will pretend to be the owner of it. We recommend that you file your infringement complaint as soon as you become aware of it in the UAE. It is very critical to protect and uphold your copyright rights. Sending Takedown notices seems to be an easy process, but it requires experts’ assistance. HHS IP Experts consist of specialized IP professionals who can assist you in removing the infringing material alleged to have been published on the infringer’s Website with the help of Takedown notice. Apart from this, HHS Lawyers and Legal Consultants also provide you with services relating to copyright enforcement, such as:
- To perform periodic inspections as part of its vigilance against copyright infringement,
- To seize and destroy all counterfeited copies with the help of the police force and
- To assist the client in filing a copyright infringement complaint against the infringer.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any legal assistance with your legal issues.
