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website copyright issues…

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Dec 18.2009

I did some googling but could not find a definitive answer to my question:

Is it copyright infringement to be inspired by someone’s website, and make a look similar to that website? The CSS file borrows certain things like layout and navigation stuff but the other things lilke hover effects and font choice were completely different and my own. Every image I use on my site I created from scratch in Illustrator. So what exactly is copyright infringement for websites? The website whose look I mimicked is copyrighted so I was wondering.

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@ArtphotoasiADec 18.2009 — Interesting topic.... and also interesting point when happen to modify an existing free/paid already made template.

For myself I use my own ethic ...

1) if the final results and website has a graphic equal or similar to the original template I give copyright credit to the original sources ...

2) if the final results and website has a graphic completely different from the original template I will use my own copyright statement ...

3) if I start from scratch of course will be my own copyright statement ...


Let see what other people in forum have to say. ?

Regards
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@CharlesDec 18.2009 — And it matters if you're getting paid somehow for your copy and if you get caught or not.
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@semiNoob0820authorDec 19.2009 — well the look is very similar... but i believe they can't do anything to me because no one can copyright use of divs or color choices... i can understand rules such as do no use images or portions of text... but the use of ids and classes and in turn the use of them in css files can't really put anyone in trouble right?

what exactly is a website copyright though? do you have to apply for a copyright to include copyright info in the footer or do you automatically have a copyright since you created it? so can someone just say their site is copyright to them without filing any official forms?
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@ArtphotoasiADec 20.2009 — I guess the website copy can be applied only in case of a template if is really identical.... or if are identical the contents....
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@tracknutDec 21.2009 — For myself I use my own ethic ...

1) if the final results and website has a graphic equal or similar to the original template I give copyright credit to the original sources ...
[/QUOTE]

This one feels odd to me, maybe I'm not understanding it. Are you saying, essentially, that if you've taken material from someone else, you put a note stating "I stole this material from www.yy.com" ?? If you've taken it, you've already taken it, and stating somewhere on the site that you acknowledge you've taken it is no solution to the situation. Now if you got permission from the original author, and as part of the agreement they requested that you note that the site/content/pictures/whatever were copyright to them, then I get your point.

what exactly is a website copyright though? do you have to apply for a copyright to include copyright info in the footer or do you automatically have a copyright since you created it? so can someone just say their site is copyright to them without filing any official forms?[/QUOTE]

I believe in the USA most copyright is granted when the author/artist/etc *creates* the product, automatically. There is a separate process called *registering* your copyright, which involves sending a copy to the US Copyright Office, which is optional, though it helps immensely if you ever wanted to sue someone for theft of your copyrighted product.

Personally I stick with the presumption that if I see a web site with an interesting layout, and I want to replicate the layout *idea*, without just taking their code, I'm going to be ok. If their site is so complex that I can't figure out how to build it myself, and am tempted to just steal the whole thing, I don't do it.

Dave
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@ArtphotoasiADec 21.2009 — 

Now if you got permission from the original author, and as part of the agreement they requested that you note that the site/content/pictures/whatever were copyright to them, then I get your point.

[/QUOTE]


Sure! I was talking about free templates and part of the free use agreement is to keep the original author statement of course....
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@tracknutDec 21.2009 — Ah, makes sense.

Dave
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@semiNoob0820authorDec 22.2009 — thanks for all the info guys! someone gave me this great resource if anyone else was wondering what the specifics regarding copyright are:

http://www.out-law.com/page-381

anyway, i changed my font choices up a bit... and really the only thing that looks similar is the color choices. the nav area looks a bit similar but its my own. anyway, i am going to include a COPYRIGHT TO ME message in the footer since all my illustrations I made myself through sweat and tears in Illustrator.
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