Copyright infringements brought about by publishing protected material can have a serious impact on adviser websites and other publications, warns a key industry services firm.
Financial Writers Australia MD, Julianne Bell, told riskinfo that breaching copyright laws “… is an issue that is of great concern to us as we see advisers putting themselves under undue risk…”
Ms Bell said some advisers can ‘take the easy way out’ when it comes to the risk of publishing others’ material without permission, but that “… if caught, it can be a costly exercise – and another problem many of them just don’t need.”
Ms Bell has written an article for advisers: Are your newsletters or website breaking the law? (We have Ms Bell’s permission to quote from this article!)
Key points in this article include:
- Every piece of written work is copyright-protected and that right is owned by the person who wrote or produced it
- It is crucial that what you put into your publication or on your website is your own work, not copied unlawfully
Ms Bell shares with advisers how they can legally reproduce stories or information in their newsletter or website, telling advisers: “As long as you use the facts only and deliver them in your own words, you are not infringing copyright.”
Acknowledgement or attribution is a key, according to Ms Bell: “We see so much material on advisers’ websites that does not state they have received permission to reproduce it. Often there is just a link to the originating site, which is not enough,” said Ms Bell.
Advisers can click here to read the full article from Financial Writers,which will provide a basis from which to consider whether their website and/or other publications observe copyright requirements.
