Copryright for a website??

[Trek G]

I would like to get into developing websites, but I have a question. How do you copyright a website? Mark Zuck stole facebook because he was hired to write the code for it, before the original creators of facebook were able to get copyrights. And you can't copyright an idea, so how would you go about protecting your website before you higher someone to write the coding?

[Steve D]

You contract with the web developer such that all product developed by the coder is the property of the company.

[Borislav Arapchev]

The most vvaluable materials in your web-site will be texts and pictures.

Including text - All rights reserved to .... and using © - copyright symbol keeps it.

You could also use DMCA code /check http://www.dmca.com/ / for protecting your materials. It really helps.

[bcnu]

Software code is copyrighted as a "literary work", believe it or not, except where the copyright laws specifically say "computer software". Like any other literary work, it is copyrighted from the moment it is created. Automatically. Similarly, pictures are copyrighted when you store the image into any permanent form (film, digital bits, Polaroids).

Web developers have an interesting set of problems, many of which can be worked out in contracts. For instance, an independent contractor is the legal author of any software or photos he makes. As the legal author, he or she also owns the copyright. If the CUSTOMER (client) wants to own the copyright for any reason, they would need to first negotiate the proper written and signed contract.

A non-disclosure agreement is part of any good development contract, stating that the contractor cannot use or disclose the ideas or any other part of the work to anyone without permission of the client, facing "liquidated damages" and permanent injunction, if it comes to that.

Your intellectual property law firm can certainly help you with all the right contract terms and conditions.