That's Copywrite! I'm going to sue!

  • Mark Kreling

Even the legitimate purchaser of a design can still fall foul of the law if their designer is a freelance and has not passed over their rights to them. Copywrite protection and infringement go back over a thousand years, and are still some of the most hotly disputed legal issues today. Photos, music, sales systems - all these can be protected, and if they are used without permission, the owner can sue for damages. Even an unsuccessful case can cost thousands to try to defend. Basically, any work existing in a tangible and material form is the intellect property of the owner, for a specific period of time, including after death, unless their rights are legally relinquished and passed/sold to another. If you perform, show or broadcast the work in public or electronically without permission of the owner, adapt the work, or monetize it, copywrite can be infringed. If it's on the net - it's not necessarily free! Posting a The Dots, Fb, Linkedin or Tiktok post with an image, or using one on a website, ad or email drop can be a breach, however innocently done. It can cost the company that does it, the designer that produced it, and the customer that bought it. If a financial loss is involved, or an alleged loss, it can get costly. And that's where Insurance comes in. A well tailored Professional Indemnity policy can protect against the inadvertent breach of copywrite, use of another's intellectual property and any financial loss they suffer that can be laid at your door. If you want a friendly chat about what you do, and the exposures you may have, feel free to get in touch, or complete a form online - link in profile. Happy to listen.