There is nothing more frustrating than learning that the technical or product information that you wrote, or the photographs that you took for your website have been stolen and used on someone else's website. Sometimes the copying is so blatant that the other website looks just like yours! If a competitor steals your website content, it can do real damage to your business. Website copying is common because of the popular myth that if something is on the Internet; it is in the "public domain" and therefore can be used by anyone. Sometimes the copying is done by unscrupulous businesses or web developers who do not want to or are possibly incapable of creating their own original content.

With a few preventative steps, you can protect your website and your business.

First, make sure that you own any content on your website. The owner of the copyrights to content is the creator of the content unless there is a written agreement transferring the ownership. If someone else has written any materials, done any design work, or taken any photographs, get a written agreement transferring those items to you.