At this point you not only understand the benefits of using content, but you realize that accessing content is fairly easy.

However, the written word is used by humans worldwide as both a means of communication and as a powerful tool to control others. Legal documents and contracts, as well as other forms of records and statements carry a lot of weight in our society and what you put on paper can come back to hurt you if you do not follow some simple guidelines.

Copyright Law

If you are writing your own content you need to be aware that written work and art are both protected by copyrights. The authors and artists do not need to file official documentation to enforce their rights to the works they’ve created and you can be liable for copyright infringement for any works that you use without the proper authority or permission.

Copyright law is not simple and can be interrupted differently by individuals. However there are some basic points to consider when using another work as a reference or in full.

You are NEVER allowed to publish any amount of another writer’s words verbatim without the permission of the author to do so. It is wise to have the written permission unless you are otherwise granted permission by the author such as when using free to reprint articles that are submitted to article directories.

The reprint permission is usually listed on the article or on the website where the article was posted. In most cases you are free to use the information as long as you do not edit it in any way and you list the author and their personal bio in the resource box they provide along with the article.

Terms for Using Others Writing

When you hire a writer you must agree in writing to the terms of usage. If the work is purchased outright and the original author has no copyright claims, or is providing the work for your use only, you must state that it is a ‘work-for-hire’ or that you have purchased exclusive rights to the work.

If you have limited or single use rights to the work than you will not be permitted to use the content for more than the specified time or place of publication. The article may also be resold to other individuals for their publications or websites.

If you are simply quoting a reference source you are usually safe to do so as long as the reprinted information is shown within quotation marks and the source or author is listed along with the quote or with a symbol indicating the source in the appendix.

The rules for copyright infringement can be a bit murky but you can be assured that if the content you’ve duplicated is questioned, more often than not the courts will rule in favor of the original writer.

You can find more information on US copyright law at www.copyright.gov.

Now that you know what kind of content you need and where to get it – how can you optimize your website with the content you provide?